Paranormal Investigation Squad
by kitoriwitch613
Summary: THIS STORY HAS BEEN ADOPTED.In an alternate reality, Light lives with a large and heavy secret he has kept from everyone his whole life, but when he's introduced to people just like him, he sees the light these abilities have, and the darkness...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Not Alone

_(A/N): This is a Death Note Alternate Universe. Characters do not belong to me. This started out as a little exercise to help me with writer's block, but the people on DeviantArt seemed to like it, so I caved in and said what the hell. So here it is. The chapters will be uploaded every Monday._

* * *

When I was about seven years old, I started to realize that I was much different than everyone else. I answered questions before people asked them, and I could almost see clear pictures of memories that weren't mine. I was afraid to ask my family because they never went through what I was going through. Never in the talk of birds and bees or the health books I read did it say anything about mind reading. But I learned to deal with it and keep it a secret.

Because of my amazing gift, I was able to get great grades and quickly become mister popular because I could figure out exactly what people wanted me to be. I had a group of "friends" but they were more like my fans. They weren't really people I could depend on. There was no one I could really get close to because there was really no one like me.

Or so I thought.

It all started in my senior year. I went to school as usual like I always did everyday, but little did I know that today would turn my world upside down.

"Light-kun!" came a high pitch squeal behind me.

I didn't need to look back to know it was my fellow classmate, Misa. She ran up to me and hooked her arm around mine.

"Hey, hey, Raito-kun," she said, my arm being pressed between her breasts, "Are you busy after school today? Would you like to come over to my house and let me cook dinner for you?"

"Sorry Misa," I said, flashing my perfect smile, "My mother wants me to chaperone my sister to her date, and I plan on studying when I get home."

Misa pouted. "Oh, Light-kun, you study too much." We walked down the sidewalk to the school. Then Misa tugged on my arm again. "Hey, Light-kun, look at that strange boy."

I looked to where she was nodding her head at and immediately saw the strange boy she was talking about. The boy was a few feet ahead of us, crouched down on the sidewalk balanced on his sneakers with his knees pulled to his chest and his hands resting on his knees. His messy black hair was covering his eyes. He looked homeless.

"Let's just leave him alone," I said, guiding Misa away.

The boy looked about my age, maybe a little older. My curiosity always got the better of me, and I tried to peek inside his head to find out if there was a reason he was there, but nothing came back to me. Perhaps the boy was asleep; I couldn't read thoughts when the person was unconscious.

Beep. Beep. Beep. The boy took out a cell phone and flipped it open. He shouldn't be homeless if he had a phone, unless he stole it. Then his eyes tilted upwards at us. His eyes looked pupil-less they were so black. Under his eyes were dark, too, and they had a wide, haunted look about them. And he was staring straight at me, looking me right in the eye. I felt a chill go down my spine. The boy's eyes seemed to be sinking into my head, reading my thoughts, but that couldn't be true, only I could do that.

But why couldn't I read this guy's thoughts then?

"Let's go," Misa said, jerking me out of the guy's gaze, but as we walked on the school grounds, I could still feel those haunted eyes on me.

We walked to our homeroom, and I sat down at his desk near the window. While the teacher took role, I gazed out to the world outside. I saw something that made me do a double take. That strange boy was standing near the school gates, looking right at me. As we locked eyes, I could feel my pulse quicken; this guy was creepy!

"Yagami Light?"

I looked to the teacher, realizing she had called out my name. "Here." I looked back out the window and the boy was gone. Very odd.

Class continued and my thoughts about the boy with haunted black eyes were gone from my head. During break period, I took some alone time on the school roof to alleviate myself from all the school drama. I sat against the wall covered by the shadows from the heat. Below me on the school grounds, I could hear the murmur of the children having their usual chit chats within their cliques. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing myself.

Then I was bombarded with a thousand thoughts that weren't mine all at once. They were all jumbled together in different voices, coming so fast I couldn't make them out. It made my head pound between my temples. This happened sometimes. When I got too relaxed, I would lose control and be hit with a million thoughts. It would happen on occasion.

I have to get the hell away from these people. Whenever these attacks came on, I needed to get away to clear my head.

I got up, with my head in my hand, and walked down the stairs back inside the school. The unwanted thoughts faded away the farther I got, and the more control I had. I rubbed my temples, relieving the headache I had.

* * *

Across the street in a tall building, the same strange boy with haunted black eyes was staring out the window with a pair of binoculars. He sat in a chair with his knees pulled up to his chest, one hand holding the binoculars and the other holding a cell phone to his ear between his pointer finger and thumb.

"His name is Yagami Light," he said to the cell phone, "He goes to Okakura Private High School. I would say he's upperclassmen." He paused, watching the said boy on the roof. "Yes…Okay…I'm not sure, the alarm went off when he was with someone else…a girl…Amane Misa. She could be his girlfriend…I haven't been able to get close to them, yet. You need a school ID to enter…That's right…"

He put down the binoculars when Light left. "There's definitely some high spirit aura about him. I can feel it without my sensor…What's Mello doing?…No, I don't want you to take him off the case he's on right now. Get into the school computers and get me Yagami's schedule. Thanks."

He hung up and put the phone away, then took a bite of a cupcake that was on the table next to him. A small smirk spread over his lips. "Looks like I found another one."

He took another bite.

* * *

"I'm home," I called out when I walked through the front door and removed my shoes.

"Welcome home, Onii-san!" happily cried my sister, Sayu, from the kitchen. I walked inside and smelled the delicious scent of homemade dinner being made by my mother.

"Hello Light," Mother smiled at me as she stirred rice in the rice cooker, "How was school?"

"It was fine." I took a can of soda from the fridge. "I'm going up to my room to work on my homework. Come get me when dinner is ready."

I walked up the stairs and down the hall and stopped at my bedroom door. On the floor in front of my door was a broken piece of pencil lead I put in the door joint. It meant that someone had gone into my room. My family respected my privacy, but maybe Mother had put my clothes in there. I turned the knob and opened it.

I was shocked to see that the person who had entered my room was still there.

He was a boy with long blond hair to his shoulders wearing black vinyl pants and a black vest staring at my bookshelf. I certainly had no idea who this guy was. The boy looked like a punk. How could Mother allow someone like this inside? But my mother nor my sister informed me I had a guest which told him that this guy broke in. My eyes moved over to the signed baseball bat Father got me for my tenth birthday.

"I was waiting for you, Yagami Light," said the boy as he looked back. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, but even with those on I could see the boy was only a teenager.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The boy smiled and removed his sunglasses. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown. Around his neck was a choker with a Celtic cross dangling from it. He had on leather gloves and wore combat boots. He reached inside his vest. I moved closer to the bat, but the boy did not pull out a weapon. He pulled out a badge.

"My name is Mello." He said, showing his black and white badge, "I'm with the Paranormal Investigation Squad."

I felt my eyebrows knit closer together. Who the hell did this guy think he was? "Paranormal Investigation Squad?" I repeated, "What is this, a prank? Are you trying to rob me? If you are, you chose the wrong house; my father is a detective."

Mello still kept his smile and shook his head. "I don't want anything from you. I just want to give you information. You see, we're a lot alike."

"I doubt that."

Mello sat down on the chair at my desk, crossing his legs and looking comfortable. "We are both very different from everybody else. If people knew what we could do, we'd probably be sent to a lab for study."

I crossed my arms. "What are you talking about?"

Mello rolled his eyes. "I'm talking about our gifts. And I don't mean Christmas presents." He looked over to the wall. _'I hope he doesn't realize I took his stash of money from under his mattress. The last thing I need is another arrest while I'm still on probation.'_

As soon as I heard that I crossed to my bed and lifted up the part of the mattress I kept my allowance, and saw the stack of yen was still there. I looked back at Mello who had a smug look on his face.

"So you can read thoughts, hm?"

Shit. I silently cursed at myself for my mistake. How could I be so foolish? I swallowed. There was no denying it now. I was caught in the act. But I wasn't going to prove him right or wrong. "No one is going to believe something like that."

Mello put his gloved hands up in surrender. "Like I said earlier, I want nothing from you. I'm in the same boat you're in. I just want to give you a little bit of information."

This sparked my interest. Could that mean that this boy could also…? "What do you mean you're in the same boat I'm in?" I asked, sitting on the bed, now a little more interested in this conversation.

Mello leaned forward. "I'm saying," his voice was low with every word, "I can do things that others can't, also. Something that makes me very different from everyone else, just like you."

I crossed my arms for the second time. "You know what I can do. What can you do?"

Mello leaned back. "I'll show you."

He stood up. I stood up in defense. Mello didn't move, though, after he stood up. He stayed perfectly still. Then I saw his body was rippling like water and he was fading into see-through, then into nothing. I couldn't see him! He was gone!

I was completely baffled. I reached my hand out to where Mello once was but it was stopped. I felt the fabric of leather gloves against my wrist.

"I'm still here," I heard Mello's voice, "I'm just invisible." With another ripple, he reappeared.

I knew my face was priceless with my round eyes and dropped jaw, but I was astounded. It wasn't everyday you saw someone disappear and reappear like magic. "How did you do that?"

"I've always been able to do it. Just like how you've always been able to read someone's thoughts."

"But your clothes. They disappeared with you."

"I have pretty good control over my powers." He picked up an old spelling bee trophy from the desk. "If I'm touching something I can make it disappear," the trophy vanished, "at will. It used to be hard at controlling. I would find myself invisible when I didn't want to. It took me awhile to learn to control it. I thought I was alone, just like you, but I learned there are others."

"There are others?"

Mello shrugged. "Of course. But my stay here is coming to a close. If you have any questions or would like to know more about why you're like this, come to this address tomorrow." He pulled out a business card and handed it to me. "Also, please keep this between us. You go to that address, we'll tell you everything you need to know."

With a last smile, he walked past me, opened my bedroom door, then disappeared before he closed it. I looked down at the address neatly printed on the card in gothic font.

Paranormal Investigation Squad

I flipped the card over and saw nothing there. The address was printed underneath the title. I placed the card in my desk drawer right when there was a knock on my door.

"Onii-san," my sister said on the other side, "Dinner's ready."

"I'm coming."

* * *

"Goodnight, Taka-chan!" Misa waved goodbye to her friend and began walking down the sidewalk to her house.

Unknown to her, though, was that an invisible bug was flying over her, drawn to her aura. It flew above her, its thin wings buzzing silently as it waited, as it preyed. A prickling sensation tickles her neck and she turns around, afraid someone was following her, but she sees nothing. The bug takes advantage of her pause and dives down on her back, holding onto her shirt with its six insect feet and stabs its beak into her back.

She feels nothing and walks on.

* * *

The next day, L was called to the morgue by the pathologist he knew. When he entered, the doctor gave him a knowing look.

"Do you have something you want me to look at?" L said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

The old doctor nodded. He had a bushy beard but no hair on his head. "We had this woman come in, but the cause of death is uncertain. After the autopsy, I found nothing. C.O.D is undetermined."

"You want me to see if there might be something else that might've killed her," L said for him.

The man nodded and led the younger boy towards the back where the body sat on the gurney, covered by a thin white sheet.

"Her name is Yorashime Takami," the doctor said, "She's twenty three years old. No husband or boyfriend. Lives alone. No signs of sexual trauma. Tox reports came up negative for all traces. All organs look healthy. No bruising that would signify strangulation. No signs of forced trauma."

L lifted the sheet up, examining her body. "You sure you couldn't find any sign of trauma?"

"Nothing," the doctor replied, "I did find something that I thought you would be interested in." He put his fingers in the girl's mouth and opened it. When he took his fingers out, his gloved phalanges were coated in what looked like a green paste. L picked up a wooden popsicle stick and got a sample of the goo.

"It definitely looks like Rogue spit," he said, putting the sample in a plastic cup with a lid, "But we won't know until we test it. I should have the results tomorrow. Where was she found at?"

"In her car in the driveway. Her neighbor came over when he saw her and when she didn't wake up he called the ambulance."

L nodded and put his hands back in his pockets. "I'll give you a call. Please do not release her to her family until I'm done. Thank you."

He bowed and left the morgue. That had been the third victim this month. There seemed to be a Rogue nest around here. He would have to investigate this more.

* * *

It was hard for me to sleep that night. How could I after today's strange events? I had spent the last eighteen years thinking I was alone in the world, that I was a rogue to the human race, but now there were more out there. More outcasts trying to make it through society. More like me. I had just learned hours before that I wasn't alone anymore. There was a society that I could fit in with, that I could be apart of.

I was afraid that if I fell asleep, I would wake up and find out that meeting Mello and everything I was told was all a lie my subconscious conjured up in a dream. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to find out in the morning that the Paranormal Investigation Squad wasn't real, only a figment of imagination and sci-fi. I laid in bed, flipping the card in my hand, back and front. It looked real enough. It felt real enough. But still, I didn't want to get my hopes up for something so trivial and something I knew very little about. Yet, the feeling of getting answers, the chance of meeting people like me, the possibility of being accepted by this strange society, not being the outcast but being comfortable with them. It was exhilarating. I couldn't help but be hopeful.

Eventually my tired body won against my mind and my eyes fluttered shut and I fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N): Gah! Sorry this is so late! bows head in shame

**Chapter Two: The Paranormal Investigation Squad**

I awoke the next morning, and immediately looked for the card I was given the day before from Mello. It had dropped off the bed in my sleep and I was relieved when I found it. It meant that last night was real.

I took a shower and dressed for school, then joined my family for breakfast. My sister Sayu was already up and eating at the table when I came down.

"About time you got up, Nii-chan," she said, eating the rice Mother gave her, "I was just about to go and get you."

I sat down across from her. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night."

My mother came over and handed me a bowl of rice and a set of chopsticks. I set off to eat when I heard a news reporter on the television we had in the kitchen.

"Police yesterday found the body of twenty-three year old Yorashime Takami," said the female news reporter, "Yorashime was found in her car in the driveway of her home by her neighbor. Cause of death has not yet been determined, but authorities are still investigating." The reporter then switched to a different camera.

"Another missing person's case has come up," she continued on, "Toichirou Shima has been missing for two days now." A picture of a teenage boy showed up on the screen. "Parents of Shima say that he was starting to rebel and started hanging out with the wrong crowds. Shima has been showing symptoms of depression and anger issues. If you have any information of the whereabouts of Toichirou Shima, please call the hotline you see below."

"Is that the case that Dad is working on?" I asked. My father was the chief at the Tokyo Detective Agency in the Homicide Unit. They've been watching some of the missing persons cases because recently a few have been found dead.

Mother shrugged. "I'm not sure. We'll ask him when he gets home tonight. You guys hurry and eat or you'll be late." 'Oh, jeez. He's going to be out all night again with these missing kids. Can't parents control their children anymore? He already has high blood pressure.'

So he was working on the missing child's case. And he could also be pulling a double and be working on the dead girl's case. I continued eating breakfast and I put the dishes in the sink. I said goodbye to my sister and my mother and made my way down the sidewalk to school.

When I came to the crossroad, I recognized Misa. She had her back to me and her dyed blond hair was down instead of in it's usual pigtails. I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey," I said.

She looked up at me. Her eyes looked dull and tired. "Oh. Hey, Raito." Her voice was hollowed with no emotion.

I frowned, noticing the absent '-kun' that usually followed. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

The walk sign gave the okay and she walked ahead. I was just about to follow after her when I saw something on the back of her uniform. It looked like a giant spider or something was on her back. I blinked and it was gone. Did I really see that or was it just my imagination? Whatever it had been, it was gone now I walked with the rest of the group.

While at school I barely concentrated on my assignments. I had the card with the address in my pocket and it felt like it was burning through my khakis.

"Raito," the teacher called out. I looked up at her from my daydream. She looked annoyed. "Since the window seems to be taking all of you attention, why don't you tell me the answer to the problem?"

I looked over to the blackboard and saw a jumble of numbers and signs. I couldn't pick out which problem she was talking about since she was very disorganized if you didn't pay attention. Luckily though, I had other methods to get the answer.

Fourteen, rang in my ears in the voice of several other students who knew the answer, fourteen, fourteen, fourteen…

"Fourteen," I said confidently.

The teacher nodded. "Thank you, now please pay attention." The students were a little disappointed. They were hoping to see me make a fool on myself. Little did they know they had given me the answer.

As school continued, I also kept an eye on Misa. She didn't smile at all, all day. At lunch, she ate a few bites of her salad, but then just stared at it.

"Misa," I said, concerned, "Why aren't you eating? You're not trying to lose weight, are you? You're skinny enough as it is."

Misa shook her head. "I'm just not hungry." She folded her arms on the table and rested her chin on her arms.

I patted her on the elbow. "There's something wrong with you. Are you feeling okay?"

I was surprised when she smacked my hand away. "I'm fine, Raito, okay?" She gathered up her things and left the cafeteria. I could only stare after her as she ran up the stairs. Something was wrong. She seemed irritable and depressed, very different from the usual Misa. PMS?

I didn't see her the rest of the day. When I asked her friends, they said they hadn't seen her, but thought that she was most likely dismissed early by her mother. I decided that must be it and didn't worry too much. I would stop by and see her, maybe, after I stopped by the Paranormal Investigators Headquarters. That would come first.

When school was finally over, I didn't stop by my house like I usually did. Instead I called home and left a message on the machine, saying I was going to be out, and then took the train downtown where the address said. I walked a few blocks from the train station. It brought me to a building. It was not quite what I expected. It looked like an office building with two stories. The sign painted on the double glass doors said "Paranormal Investigations" and it had an eye that stared straight ahead on it. Honestly, I was expecting a rundown building, or some other kind of low business-like office, and I didn't expect them to come out and say they worked with ghosts and spirits; that kind of thing was looked down on in society nowadays.

"Are you wanting to talk to a detective?"

I turned around and saw a boy my age or younger with goggles on the top of his redish brown hair. He wore a black and white stripped shirt with a name tag that said "Matt" on it. He took a drag off a cigarette, then smashed it on the ashtray on top of a trashcan.

"Yes," I said, taking out the card, "I'm looking for someone named…" Crap, what was that weird guy's name again?

"Go ahead and come inside and wait," Matt said, holding the door open for me, "They're are out right now, but they should come back after a while."

I walked inside and saw that they had really clean walls and floors. There were tables and chairs with magazines and pamphlets about the supernatural and the effects it had on reality and your person. It was like I was stepping inside the twilight zone. Why was I here again? Oh yeah, the mind reading thing.

I sat down in one of the chairs and looked around. There was a set of stairs at the far end of the room that led to the upper level, a door to an office, and an open door to a room that looked like a conference room.

I waited patiently while Matt went behind the desk and answered the phone, occasionally scribbling something down. So they did get some business. After ten minutes I started getting bored so I took out a book from my backpack and began reading where I left off. I deciding to leave the magazines and pamphlets alone.

After about five minutes after opening the book, I heard the door open and Matt say, "Hey there Near, we got someone waiting for you."

I looked up and felt my stomach drop to my knees. When I saw who Matt was talking to, my first thought was a ghost had walked right into the building.

It was a boy, a teenager, with pale white skin, and whiter hair than snow. He wore an all white suit with pants and a button down shirt. Even the sneakers he wore were white. He looked over at me then walked over. His eyes were pale blue.

"Good afternoon," the white boy said as he held out his pale hand, "My name is Near. Would you like to step into my office?"

After a while, I stood up. Was this little boy an investigator? He couldn't be, he was only a teenager. And he was so white and pale, was he even human?

The boy, Near, he had said (Was that really even his name?), led me through one of the office doors. We went into one of the cubicles with a desk. Near sat behind the desk and I sat opposite of him.

"What can I help you with?" Near asked. I wasn't sure anymore. I just blinked a few times. I'm not a freak show, so stop staring at me like I am.

"I'm sorry," I said automatically. Near raised his white eyebrows, "I just never saw someone as pale as yourself."

Near shrugged one shoulder. "It's okay. I'm an albino. I get that a lot."

"I thought albinos had red eyes?"

"That's a stereotype," Near answered, "Not all albinos have red eyes. Albinos with red eyes have clear irises; I have blue irises as you can tell." He curled a piece of white hair in his fingers. "Now, what can I do for you?"

I pulled out the card. "I had someone who worked here give me this." I handed Near the card, "He was at my house last night and told me that I should come here." I decided not to mention my ability until needed be.

"What did he look like?" Near asked.

"He had blonde hair…"

"Was his name Mello?"

I nodded. "Yes, that's his name. Mello."

Near twirled a piece of hair, one leg up in the chair and the other straight down, dangling to the floor. He nodded and picked up the phone that was on the desk and dialed a few numbers. "I'll call Mello and see what he says."

He waited awhile before someone answered. "Mello, this is Near. I have someone here with me that says you requested that he stopped by." He covered the mouth piece with his hand and looked to me. "What's your name, please?"

"Yagami Raito," I said.

"His name is Yagami Raito," Near said into the phone. His constant hair twirling stopped. "I see…" He looked up at me, looking at me in a studying way, "Are you sure?…" I stiffened in my seat, suddenly being very nervous as if I was applying for a job and the manager was checking my references. "What kind are we talking about here?…" I wasn't sure but I could've sworn I saw Near's cheeks pinken. "Understood…okay…thank you."

He hung up and then stood up. "Please follow me upstairs, Yagami-san."

I stood up and followed the albino boy outside into the waiting room and then up the stairs. Downstairs was an office-like building while the upstairs was more home like. We entered a living room with a large plasma television and two black leather couches and chairs and a white table in the middle with a few manila folders on top of it. Near gestured for me to sit down on one of the couches, which I did.

"Would you like some tea, Raito-san?" he asked.

"Yes please," I said politely.

Near walked into the kitchen, shuffling his feet slightly, which were now gone of shoes and he was only in socks. He came back with two teacups of hot tea and set them down on the table with a bowl of sugar cubes and two spoons. I saw that it was Earl Grey and not herbal; they didn't look Japanese, so it wasn't a surprise.

Near sat down on the same couch as me, facing me with one leg to his chest and the other on the floor. "Mello told me you are a special case with abnormal abilities. Is this true?"

I sipped the tea. "Yes, this is true, but I think it would be best if I waited for Mello to come before I discuss anything farther."

Near nodded and looked at his untouched tea. He dropped two sugar cubes into it and leaned back still looking at it. "What grade are you in, Raito-san?"

"I'm a senior," I answered.

"What school do you attend?"

"Okakura High."

"A private school, huh?"

"Yes, I'm wearing their uniform right…now…" I trailed off when I looked to the tea cup Near was so intently staring out, a little annoyed that he was being so rude as to not look at his guest. Then I knew why he was looking at it. The teaspoon that was in it was moving around in circles by itself. My jaw dropped as the spoon kept moving and moving. Then it slowed down and stopped. Near held his hand out and I watched amazed as the teacup gently lifted itself off the saucer and slowly zoomed into his hand. He took a sip and looked at me.

"Any family members?" Near asked, acting like nothing out of the ordinary happened.

But I couldn't answer. I was looking at the teacup in Near's hands like it was radioactive gold; I wasn't sure whether I should be amazed or frightened. Finally, I found my voice. "You can do things, too?"

Near nodded and set the teacup back on the saucer. "Yes, I'm telekinetic and a psychic tracker."

I furrowed my eyebrows questioningly. "A psychic tracker?" I knew what telekinesis was, but this was out of my sci-fi vocabulary.

"I can track someone by their psychic aura they give off," Near answered, "Everyone has a distinct aura profile, much like a scent. I try to find your psychic aura and follow it to where you may be."

Now I had much more questions to ask now. "You find missing people? Then you can help with the missing teenagers then, can't you?"

"That is what Mello and our boss is trying to do," Near said, "We need permission from the families of the missing person or the police to interfere. The police are skeptical about us and the family doesn't want any amateurs to jump on the case and slow it down."

I nodded. "I see." It was understandable. If it were my kid who was missing I don't think I would trust a "psychic". I set the teacup down on the saucer. "Why didn't you join them, then?"

Near looked down at the floor. "I had tests today that I couldn't miss."

I blinked. "How old are you?"

Near now narrowed his eyes at me. "I will tell you that my age doesn't do well for my ability. Regardless of how old I am, I am more than qualified to do my job."

I was taken aback. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just curious."

Near's cheeks noticeably reddened and he twirled a piece of hair. "I apologize," he said, looking at the ground, "We've been having trouble getting cooperation from the police for some unsolved cases. I didn't mean to react that way. I'll be sixteen in two months."

I smiled. The kid was pretty cute. "What school do you go to?"

"Kitamura," Near mumbled.

"Is that a middle school?"

"It's a college. I'm working on my degree in criminal justice." He looked over to my shocked expression. "I have an I.Q. of 184. People like us are more likely to have higher intelligence because of our more productive and advanced brainwaves. I would guess that you make straight A's in advance classes and college courses, too."

I nodded. "I'm the top in my school." So I was smart because of my power? This was new to me. Somehow I didn't feel so special anymore.

Near smiled, a small smile. "See?" He shifted a little, "We can wait here for them. They should be back soon. Do you want to watch TV?" He didn't even wait for a reply before he turned on the plasma to a cartoon channel.

* * *

Mello was driving while L sat in the passenger seat. He hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. "Those damn detectives!" he cursed, "The job is to find the kid, but they only care that they find him!"

L had his thumbnail in between his lips. "I will talk to his mother when we get to headquarters. Perhaps she will be desperate enough to allow us on the case."

Mello blew a piece of blond hair from his face and kept driving.

"In the meantime," L said, holding up the vial of green goo that was now a green liquid, "We have a new Rogue to catch."

* * *

Near and I were still watching cartoons when we heard footsteps coming up the stairs. When we looked, the door opened and Mello and another boy entered the room.

"I'm just about to find that damn brat myself if they don't…" Mello trailed off when he saw they had a guest in the room. He smiled widely, "Ah, Raito! Glad you're here. This is my boss, L."

I looked over to the hunched over boy behind Mello with his feet bare, hands in pockets, and wild black hair with haunted eyes.

L bowed. "It's nice to have you here, Yagami-kun."

That boy! That weird boy! I pointed a finger at him. "You were that boy that was in front of the school yesterday!"

L walked over to the couch in front of us, sitting down on his feet with his knees to his chest and his hands resting on his knees. Mello went to the kitchen and came back with some tea and several plates of chocolate and other sweets. L plopped several sugar cubes in the tea and stirred. I realized he didn't say anything to my accusation. He didn't say anything at all.

"Um, sorry to ask," I said, slightly nervous, "but, does L stand for anything?"

L shook his head negatively. "No, it's just L." He picked up a cookie and nibbled on it. "Now, I'm sure you have other questions, but I'm going to go ahead and tell you that you can read thoughts." He didn't look at me, instead he opted to build a small stack of sugar cubes. "No one knows why this happens or when it will happen again to someone, but what we do know is that it is in the brain. You are a hypersensitive, which means that you are more sensitive to the aura and spiritual force a person gives off."

I nodded, although my head was jumbled with this new information. I wasn't a very spiritual man, but there did seem to be a lot of "spiritual things" in this.

"We are a task force that deals with the supernatural and other beings that are not acceptable in human society," L continued, "We use our abilities for these types of cases."

"What powers do you have?" I asked.

L removed one of the sugar cubes from his tower and licked it. "You will see my abilities at a later time. People like us are capable of seeing ghosts and spirits. Even "normal humans" that have no special powers but are hypersensitive are able to see spirits."

I leaned back. "Okay, so you all know what I can do and I know what you can do, but why am I here? Is it that you want me to join this squad? My father is the chief detective for Tokyo. I don't think he would approve if I decided I no longer wanted to be on his team."

L nibbled his nail. "Yes, you do help your father with cases, don't you, Yagami-kun?"

I nodded. "I've been on a few. I'm wanting to follow in my father's footsteps and become a detective in the force." Then a thought crossed my mind. "Are you wanting me to join this squad because of this defect I have?"

"It's not a defect," Mello said, "We're still human. There have been known cases about people like us."

"What is this 'us'?" I asked, getting annoyed, "What are we? We're freaks. That's all we are."

"Yes," came L's haunted voice, "We are freaks. But the question is, do we use our freaky abilities for good and justice, or do we keep it inside us, hoping if we never bring it out it will eventually die away?" He bit a piece of sugar cube and swallowed it, "No matter what you do, you will always be different. I'm sure that your father probably uses your deductive skills to accompany him on interrogations, doesn't he?" I didn't say anything. "You use your mind reading skills to poke inside the suspect's mind to find the guilty thoughts and then you manipulate him enough with your strange knowing until he finally confesses or you get enough evidence against him to arrest him." He licked some excess sugar off his fingers. "It's a very clever method."

I could feel my face pale. I swallowed, but didn't say anything after that. It was true. Dammit.

L's eyes, those haunted eyes, lifted up to mine. "I am saying that you would be a great benefit for this squad, but I am not saying that just because you have these powers that you have to be on this squad. It is your choice. Do what you want to do. Either way, your ability will be put to good use." He picked up a cookie and nibbled on it. "We still don't know why we have these abilities, whether they are mutations in our genetics or a strange development in our brains. Who knows? All we do know is there are others like us. They have the choice to use their abilities for good or bad. We paranormal investigators choose to protect the good and fight against the bad."

"So there are other people with powers who are criminals?" I asked.

L nodded. "Of course," he said, placing his hands on his knees, "Our powers are not confined to just the innocent. It's the person's choice to be who they want to be. They are more of a threat with their supernatural powers than regular criminals, though." Then he stood up and walked towards the door and opened it. "Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anymore on the matter. If you have questions about your own abilities, we would be happy to help, but any more information is confidential between the squad."

I nodded and walked towards the door. "Thank you." I bowed and shut the door behind me.

As I left the building, Matt said goodbye while talking on the phone. I felt more stressed now than I had before. Not only was I not the only one that was a freak, but there were criminals with powers, too. It was terrifying to think about. With Mello's ability, robbery would be an easy task and there would be no way to pin it on him. And with Near's psychic tracking whatever, he could avoid all police and civilians, and with his telekinesis…I shuddered. And L…though I did not know of L's powers, I had a feeling it would be equally as terrifying as the others.

It was my choice. Use my powers for good? Or bad? I could be unstoppable if I decided to do criminal acts, so unstoppable that I scared myself. I knew I would do the right thing and follow justice, I had already made that choice. But others out there were bypassing justice and punishment, hurting innocent civilians and getting away with it. Just thinking of it made me angry. And who knew what they were capable of? Blowing your head apart with a snap of their fingers? Setting you on fire? Drowning you from the inside out? Making you go mentally insane? Throwing you in another dimension? My imagination was reeling on different, absurd ways.

It was evening now. The sky was red and purple. I felt fatigued and tired. I took the train back to my hometown and walked down the street toward my house. On the way, I passed by Misa's house. I stopped when I heard a yell.

"I don't care what you think, Mom!" came a high pitched screech that sounded a lot like Misa, only more satanic. "It's my life! I can do whatever the hell I want!"

The front door of the house flew open and a very angry Misa walked out, fuming. Her hair now had black roots since she hadn't dyed it again. She had on her usual Gothic Lolita outfits except these were even more exposing. Her knee high black boots clicked on the concrete with each step.

"Misa," I began but she cut me off.

"Fuck off, Raito, I'm not in the mood to deal with you." And she marched away from me. Under the glow of the street light, I saw the same strange bug I saw on her earlier, only now it covered her entire back and it was pulsing. It was one of the ugliest things I had ever seen. How could she not notice it?

I hate the world. I hate everyone. I hate myself. I can't stand them. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. Everyone hates me, and I hate everyone.

It was Misa's voice, Misa's thoughts, but it wasn't her. This wasn't the friend I knew. It was the bug. The bug was making her have such thoughts.

"Misa!" I called after her.

Misa turned on her heel. "Go away, Raito! This isn't any of your business!"

"Misa, I want to help you!"

"Help me what?" Tears spilled down her cheeks, but her eyes were still hurt and angry, "Kill myself? I'm quite capable of doing that myself!"

I ran up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "This isn't you. You're not like this at all! What's going on?"

She balled her fist and pulled it back. I was so shocked to see her actually raise a hand to me that I didn't block it as it came hurtling toward my jaw. My head turned and spit flew out of my mouth. I tasted rust, but there was no blood when I checked. When I looked to see Misa, she was running down the street.

She was going to kill herself, I knew it. Was it because of that strange bug? It had to be. It must be a parasite of some kind that made her act so strangely. I had to stop her. But I would need help.

First, I knocked on Misa's front door and it was answered by her distraught mother. Her hair was also dyed blonde.

"Yagami-kun?" she sniffled.

"I want to help you find Misa," I told her, "Can I use your phone?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Hell Bug**

In twenty minutes, a car pulled up in front of the Amane household. The doors opened and Mello, Near, and L stepped out. Mello was carrying a large black gym bag. I greeted them at the front door before they knocked.

"Thank you for coming," I said, "I really need your help."

L nodded. "Finding missing people is one of our specialties." Inside he saw Mrs. Amane. "Are you her mother?"

"Y-Yes," Mrs. Amane said, "Are you the police?"

"Not quite," L said, "We're Paranormal Investigators. Near here is a psychic."

Mrs. Amane blinked. "A psychic? I don't want a psychic, I want the police to find my daughter."

"I assure you, Amane-san," Near said lowly, "I will definitely find your daughter. If we don't find her before two, you may call the police."

Mrs. Amane crossed her arms, her eyes beginning to water. "I just want my daughter to be found safe and brought home."

"We will do the best we can," Mello said.

"I will need something that belongs to her," Near said.

"Of course, I'll get something from her room." Mrs. Amane turned around and walked up the stairs. She wasn't gone for two minutes before she came back. "This is the first thing I found." She handed Near a purple scrunchie.

"This is very good," Near said. He put the scrunchie on his wrist, "Thank you."

Mello gently put his hand on Mrs. Amane's shoulder. "Why don't you tell me more about Misa while they do their thing?" He led her into the kitchen.

Near zipped open the black gym bag. What he pulled out was a large dart board. I was surprised it fit in there. The dart board's cover was a map of the city. He handed the board to L who held it to his middle.

"Raito," L said suddenly, "Did you notice anything strange about Misa when you saw her?"

"Yes," I said quickly, "I saw this weird insect on her. It was huge."

L and Near looked at each other.

"Was it spider-like?" Near asked.

"Yeah, and she didn't seem to notice it at all."

"Hell Bug."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"It's a parasitic bug that is invisible to the normal human eye," L informed, "It feeds off the spiritual aura of its victim, slowly controlling their emotions. We have to find her soon before the Hell Bug's creator finds her first."

"Hell Bug's creator?" I repeated in question.

Near pulled a dart from the bag and held it in the hand with the scrunchie on it. He closed his eyes and his hand rocked back and forth. Was he going to throw it? That would be funny if this was a different day without the crisis.

"How long do we have to find her?" I asked.

"It depends on the power of the Rogue," L informed me, "It could take weeks or days for the bug to take full effect of Miss Misa. But we should find her before that happens. The Hell Bug will lead her to its Rogue."

I was going to ask what this "Rogue" was but at that moment, the dart in Near's hand shot out and zoomed into the dart in the top left quadrant. Near opened his eyes and stood up. L flipped the board to face him.

"Looks like she's at the Shibuya Station," L said.

"We could lose her if she gets on a train," I said, "We have to hurry."

"Mello." The blonde came out of the kitchen with Mrs. Amane when L called for him. "You're coming with Yagami-kun and I. We're heading to Shibuya station. Near, keep us in touch. Watch her movements and report in."

"Understood," Near mumbled, curling a piece of hair around his finger.

We left in the car that they came in, Mello was driving while L sat in the back. I noticed that Mello liked to speed, which was good in this case.

"When we get there," said L from the backseat, "She will most likely have boarded a train. Near should call us and tell us in which direction she's going in and we can follow her then."

"That dart board thing," I said, looking back at him and his strange way of sitting, "Is that how he finds people?"

L nodded. "Yes, but he has other methods, too. He suggested the dartboard would be good for her general location. He'll most likely use other methods to pinpoint her exact location."

"Near is a pro when it comes to location," Mello said, his eyes were covered by sunglasses even though it was night, and he stared straight ahead, "But he sometimes has problems controlling his telekinesis."

I blinked at him. "He seemed to have control of it pretty well when he showed me."

"Well, Near is getting much better," Mello said, "He just has to concentrate a little harder." I remembered how Near stared so intently at the teacup. "His telekinesis developed late."

"Developed late?" I asked, "You mean he wasn't born with it?"

"He was born with it," L said, gazing out the window with his fingernail in his mouth, "It just didn't show itself until later in his life. In fact, it was right after he joined PIS that it began to show."

"So we could have more powers as we get older?"

"It's a possibility," he said, "But not certain. When an ability awakens later in maturity, it's a little harder to control than others. In Near's case, his telekinesis will sometimes get out of hand."

"Out of hand?" I said, "Isn't that a little dangerous? Should we leave him there by himself?"

"Oh don't worry about it," Mello said, "It doesn't just happen out of nowhere. He has to trigger it by using it and it getting out of control. Near knows not to use it unless needed, and he will contact us immediately if there is a problem."

"All right," I said, still not fully convinced.

There was a jingle. L took out a cell phone. "Understood," He only said then shut it with a snap. "Near said she has boarded a train and is headed southwest. He still doesn't know where she's headed, but it looks like she may be headed toward Ayuko Town."

Mello stepped on the gas, making me lean more into my seat. I looked at the speedometer and saw that we were going ninety.

"Slow down!" I yelled, "The speed limit is forty! What are you doing going so fast?"

Mello smiled at me. "Relax, Raito-san, I never crash, and I won't get pulled over. Trust me."

I didn't trust him, but he was the one behind the wheel. And we made it to the station in less than ten minutes instead of fifteen like usual. We should've beaten Misa here, but Near said she had boarded a train. She must've taken a taxi to get here then.

We entered Shibuya station. The crowd was less than usual since it was nighttime, but it was still busy. We went to the giant illuminated sign that said the time of departure and arrival for each train. We located two that went southwest.

L called Near. "Can you give me anymore information on where she's at?…Okay. Thank you." He shut the cell phone. "Near says she is at Ayuko. That would mean she's on train twelve." He followed his finger down. "That means there's going to be another train in five minutes to Ayuko."

"That will be too long," I said, "She's getting farther and farther away." I was in a near panic now. Misa could already be with this "Rouge-thing".

"We can take the number nine to Shinta," Mello said, tracing it with his finger, "Then we can take a car to Ayuko. It should be faster. It's boarding already so we need to hurry up and get on."

And that's what we did. We boarded the number nine train. Mello and I stood up while L sat down in his usual crouch. Some people stared at him. He didn't seem to mind, or he didn't notice. Shinta was the second stop. I kept checking my watch. Too much time was passing. Near called and told us more about her whereabouts. She stayed in Ayuko. That was good. Finally we departed the train and took a taxi. I saw Mello give the driver a wad of yen and ask him if he could drive. It must have been quite a bundle because the guy's eyes widened and nodded. Mello got behind the wheel and pressed the pedal to the floor. The inertia launched all of us into our seats.

It only took five minutes to get to Ayuko. Mello tail-spun the cab and parallel parked it without any damages. The cab driver was shaken as we left.

"Thanks," Mello called behind us.

L was on the phone with Near. "Down North Avenue," he directed us, "She seems to be at a night club."

I didn't like the sound of that. Ayuko at night was famous for its prostitution and drugs. Misa shouldn't be out here. I was worried sick about her. She could be in danger! She was in danger!

It was faster on foot, so we ran to North Avenue. I was slightly surprised that L had a normal run. I was expecting to see him run funny and girly, but he ran normally. He was even as fast as me. Mello was the fastest.

It wasn't hard to find the nightclub. It was a building with dark walls and flashing bright lights. The music emitted from it was that of a techno-beat. The walls reverberated the with the sound of "unce unce unce unce". It was annoying as hell.

We came inside and were immediately assaulted with the smell of smoke, alcohol, and cheap cologne. It was packed of teenagers and young adults wearing strange outfits and multicolored hair. They were rocking their hips against each other's and others were leaning against the walls, smoking cigarettes and swigging cheap beer. Nearly everyone here was underage, but no one seemed to care.

"Do you see her?" Mello asked me.

I looked around, squinting to make out her shape. I didn't see anyone recognizable. "No," I said, "She has blonde hair. Dyed. And she wears one of those Lolita outfits."

"Well that should be easy enough," he said sarcastically, raising a hand to show a dozen girls with blonde hair with gothic outfits.

We looked around. Still, we couldn't find her. L called Near again. He told us that she was here. We searched harder, asking the bartender if he saw her, which he didn't.

L tapped me on the shoulder. "Perhaps we should look outside in the back?"

That was a good idea. Why didn't I think of that? I followed after him and Mello, and we went out the entrance, then circled around to the rear of the club. I saw several couples making out. Then I saw Misa. She was sitting alone on top of a dumpster. I also saw that hideous thing on her in the street lamp that was above her. It's legs were now so long that they were on her shoulders and showing through the front.

"The Hell Bug is growing faster than I expected," L said beside me.

I approached Misa. She was staring down at the dumpster and hadn't noticed I was there until I said her name.

"Misa," I said.

She looked up at me. I saw her cheeks had the dry tear stains. Her eyes were still puffy.

"Raito?" she asked. Her voice was broken. She sounded so scared and fragile. She was breaking. I watched as more tears rolled down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around me and cried on my shoulder. I held her as she cried.

"It's okay," I whispered, "We're going to help you."

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she whispered against my shirt.

"I'm going to take care of you. Hang on." I lifted her up in my arms bridal style. She cried even harder telling me she was sorry for different things. I kept telling her everything was going to be okay. I could feel the pulse of the insect. It disgusted me that I was touching it, but it disgusted me more that it was on her.

L had called Matt from the headquarters and told him to pick them up. He pulled up in a car with Near. I sat in the back with Near, and Misa laid her head on my lap. She fell asleep.

The car slowed down. "We have to get the Hell Bug off her," L said, "If we keep it there, it will cause her more damage."

"How do we do that?" I asked while I stroked her hair.

Near searched in the gym bag and pulled out what looked like a pen. But then the tip glowed a bright blue and looked electrical.

"Can you roll her over?" he asked.

I stared at the device like it was a torture device from the future. "You can't stab her with that. It'll kill her!"

"It has no effects on humans, "L said. He sat up front between Mello and Matt. "It's my own invention. It's the easiest way to kill Hell Bugs and the person will not feel a thing." He looked back at me. My eyes locked with his black ones. "I promise."

And I believed him. I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt like I could trust him. I gently rolled Misa on her stomach, keeping her head turned so she could breathe. She was still asleep. The car stopped.

"I think you should do it," Near said.

I looked from him to the blue light pen thing, then back to him. "You…You want me to do it? I…I can't do it. Why can't you do it?"

There was a chuckle from the front seat. Mello looked back, a sly smile on his face. "Near is too squeamish." He looked to Near, "Isn't that right, Neawie?"

Near looked away. His white cheeks were blushing pink. He didn't look back to me. "Will you do it? You just stab the bug. You won't hurt her."

I didn't want to do it, but it seemed like I had to. I gently took the handle of the pen. Then I turned it around so I was holding it like I was holding a dagger. I touched the blue lighted tip with the tip of my finger. I didn't feel anything. They were right.

I sucked a deep breath through my nose and watched the disgusting thing pulse. I had to kill it. For Misa. I raised the pen up. Swallowed. Then I stabbed it. I didn't know the thing could scream, but it did. A loud piercing cry echoed around the car, hurting my ears. Near covered his own and shut his eyes tight. The thing twitched and I saw a greenish goo leak out of the stab wound.

Oh shit, I thought, Oh shitohshitohshitohshit! I killed Misa! Misa was screaming!

But then I realized that Misa hadn't moved. She was still taking deep slow breaths of sleep. I ripped the pen out of the bug's exoskeleton. It was covered in goo. The bug curled up. I watched amazed as it faded black. Then it rolled off of Misa's back and fell to the floorboard with a thump between my feet. I rubbed the spot on her back that the bug had once been. Everything was smooth. Everything was back to normal.

We arrived at the Amane household. I woke Misa up and helped her out of the car. I was surprised that L had followed us. I knocked on the door. It swung open and Mrs. Amane clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Misa! You brought her back!" She hugged her daughter, "Thank you so much! Thank you! Are you okay, baby? Oh, I was so worried about you. Thank you so much."

"Your daughter is fine," L said, "Would you mind if we have a word inside?"

Mrs. Amane nodded and led us inside. We went into the living room and they sat down on the couch while L and I stood up.

"Miss Misa, Mrs. Amane," L said, "If I can have your attention?" They both looked to him. "I would just like to tell you that you never saw anything strange or abnormal happen here." I looked over at L and did a double take. His black eyes looked different; his pupils were white instead black. I looked back to them. They had a glazed over look in their eyes. "What did happen is Misa became a little rebellious. Yagami-kun volunteered to look for her and we found her only a few blocks away at the mall. We talked her into coming back. Now you will have lots of mother and daughter love. You will let Misa have the day off school tomorrow and spend the time with her. And dye her hair."

Then the two women blinked out of their daze. Mrs. Amane smiled widely. "Thank you, Raito-kun for bringing Misa back from the mall. I really do appreciate it."

I blinked at her. What had L done? "N-No problem."

L and I walked out of the house. I grabbed him by his shoulder and spun him around so we faced.

"What the hell was that in there?" I questioned.

L blinked at me. Then he put a finger to his lips and nibbled on it. "That, Yagami-kun, was my ability. Hypnotism. It comes in handy when we don't want to be found out. There are some things that normal humans shouldn't know about."

Then he walked ahead. I stayed there, a little stunned. Some things that normal humans shouldn't know about? After some thought, I realized he was right. We weren't ready to be accepted into society yet.

"We'll drive you home," L said to me, "Where do you live?"

"You already know, don't you?"

L smiled slyly. "It's always polite to ask first."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Orimo Nagasaki

At school we had a pop quiz. I was afraid that I might miss a problem or two because my head was full of thoughts about yesterday. Misa didn't come to school today, just like L had hypnotized her to do.

That power. L's power. It sent shivers down my body. It was not what I expected it to be, and it was more frightening than I imagined. Could he control everybody? Could he control me? Had he already controlled me? Could Mello and Near and Matt possibly under his control? Most likely, no. It looked to me they were there of their own will, but my investigative instincts couldn't rule it out.

And was it just my power that couldn't penetrate L? I had tried several times to see what was in that head of unruly black hair, but I received nothing. It wasn't that his head was empty of thoughts, that couldn't be it. He seemed to always be thinking, always calculating. It's strange. I never felt so frustrated to know what someone was thinking about because I always knew. But he, he was a mystery to me. He was a puzzle. A puzzle I was determined to solve a few pieces at a time.

L was not the only one who clouded my head, though, he was the biggest. The entire PIS that I knew of was in my thoughts. I had stayed up late just thinking about them, the creature, and Rogues, yet I have never seen one. If Hell Bug could make someone as usually cheerful as Misa do what she did, what worse could Rogues and other strange beings do? I wanted to protect people. That is why I wanted to become an officer. But now with beings unknown to the police and innocent people, how would I protect them, then? Perhaps I could... Wait!

Did I want to join the Paranormal Investigators?

The teacher passed by out our quizzes. On my paper the 100 was turned into a smiley face.

* * *

L enjoyed sweets very much. He ate them everyday, different flavors. They were, to say, his favorite food, though one might not say they were truly food. And, miraculously, he didn't have a single cavity. He visited the dentist three times a year and brushed his teeth three times a day. Eating sweets made him able to calculate things better, but that didn't mean he ate just sweets. He liked fruits, and meat were okay. Vegetables, whether raw or steamed, were just nasty.

He was also, what Matt had once called, a clean freak. He didn't agree. He just didn't like messes, but that didn't mean he didn't make one. Near was the same as him. His bedroom was spotless and his closet was packed neatly with different toys and puzzles that the albino boy enjoyed. Mello was the exact opposite. His room was filled with clothes on the floor and his bed was never made. But it didn't smell or have any trash in it, so L did not mind that much. It was Mello's living quarters, not his. Matt recently moved in to the apartment complex down the street since he didn't have a place to stay and they were out of room. He had been friends with Mello since childhood, and had known Near just as long since they all grew up together.

Right now it was just him and Near. Near sat on the floor putting together a one-thousand piece puzzle. He did one everyday. For his birthday, L was planning on getting him a puzzle of everyone's face on it. Mello had already gotten him a set so he could glue and frame each puzzle. And Matt hadn't decided yet. L was still wondering what he could do for the party. They were all a family, even if not one of them was related. They celebrated every holiday just like a true family.

L looked back from his chair to Near on the floor. The boy was picking up puzzle pieces with his mind and setting it down. He was getting much better. It had been weeks since he had overdone himself.

"There's someone here," Near suddenly mumbled.

"Who is it?" L asked.

"Not someone I am familiar with," Near said, standing up.  
_  
'He must be here for an investigator, then'_, L thought. "I'll go see to him."

He knew Near wasn't comfortable seeing people by himself. He always stood out because of his albinism. L stuffed on his hardly-ever-used sneakers with the backs squashed down for his heels and walked down the steps. Just when he got to the downstairs office, he saw Matt look at him and set down the phone.

"Oh, hey L," the teen said with a smile, "I was just about to call you. This young lady here would like to talk to you about something."

L noticed there was a very timid looking young girl sitting in one of the chairs. She was wearing the uniform of a private middle school. She looked to be about fifteen or so. She stood up and bowed politely.

"Nice to meet you," she said, "My name is Sayu. I heard that you guys deal with ghosts. Is that true?"

"It is true," L said, "Are you having problems with a ghoul?"

There was a noticeable blush of her cheeks. "W-Well, my friend thinks she might be followed by a ghost, but she's too scared to get help, so that's why I'm here. She's been pushed down stairs, locked in rooms, and other strange stuff. I was wondering if..." She looked down at her shiny black shoes, "If you could see if it was a ghost doing it, or if she just had bad luck."

L nodded, putting his third finger in his mouth. "What is your friend's name?"

"Nagasaki, Orimo Nagasaki," Sayu said, "We go to Okakura Jr. High."

L nodded. Where had he heard that name before? That's right, Raito went to the Okakura High School. "Okay, we'll look into it, but we can't guarantee you anything until we get more information."

Sayu lifted her head up. "You'll take it?"

L nodded again. "We will see what we will do, but we will still charge you for the case."

Sayu smiled and bowed. "Of course! Thank you, thank you!"

* * *

After she had gone to the Paranormal Investigators, she felt a little better about her friend Nagasaki. If there was a ghost following her, the PIS would help her.

Sayu needed to help her, too. She and Nagasaki lived close by. They were only a few houses down from each other. She would probably get into trouble for skipping school during lunch, but because her friend didn't show up today, it worried her.

Sayu came to the Orimo household and rang the doorbell. No one came to answer. Perhaps Nagasaki was sick. However, Sayu wanted to make sure. She checked the door and found it to be unlocked.

"Nagasaki-chan?" Sayu called out, "It's me, Sayu! Are you here?" No one answered her. "Nagasaki-chan?" Her feet carried her up the stairs. The closer she got to the second floor she heard the sound of running water in the pipes. Was Nagasaki in the shower?

When she got the top, she looked down both hallways. "Hm?" A puddle of water was outside the bathroom door. Did something flood? Sayu walked over to the bathroom. "Nagasaki-chan?" She twisted the door handle and pushed it open. There was water on the floor, and it was leaking from the shower; inside the shower was…

"Nagasaki-chan!"

Sayu's friend had a stand-up shower, not a bath. It's glass doors rose all the way to the ceiling, and the water was almost to the top. Inside Nagasaki was thrashing about, trying to turn off the water and bang on the glass. Sayu ran over and tugged at the door's handle, but it would not budge. Water leaked from the door's joints, but it wasn't enough to make the water level go down.

"H-Hold on, Nagasaki-chan!" Sayu cried out. She looked around, trying to find something to use to break open the door. She spotted a stainless steel trashcan by the toilet and picked it up over her head. "Watch out!" Nagasaki moved under the shower head in the corner, trying to get away from the door. Sayu hurled the trashcan into the glass, shattering it. Water poured out at high pressure, knocking Sayu off her feet. Nagasaki fell to the ground, curled up.

"Nagasaki-chan!" Sayu cried out, moving over to her friend. The broken glass on the floor cut her hands and knees, but opened the door and leaned over her friend. "It's going to be okay, Nagasaki-chan. I'm got help for you."

Her friend's long red hair was plastered around her face. She was trembling with great force and her eyes were wide. "S-S-Sayu-ch-chan…I saw…I saw…"

"You saw who?" Sayu asked, holding her hand.

"I saw... saw...h-him!"

Sayu's grip tightened around her friend's hand. _'Nii-san! I really need you right now!'_

* * *

"Okay, now once the chest of your cat is shaved, you will use the scalpel and create a Y incision from the shoulders down to the pubic region," lectured my teacher.

Before me on the lab table was a dead cat, chest shaved, and its limbs pinned down with surgical needles. I pressed the scalpel against the cat's shoulder. I could feel my lab partner breathe down my neck, even though we were both wearing masks. The goggles made my face itch, but we had to wear them. The scalpel sliced through the cat's skin with ease down the left shoulder to the middle of its sternum.

_'Nii-san! I really need you right now!'_

"Sayu?!" I couldn't stop myself from speaking out loud. How could I hear my sister's voice? She was at school.

"Hm?" my partner looked at me, "Something wrong?"

I looked at him. "No, nothing." I looked back down to the cat I was supposed to dissect. There was no way for me to hear my sister's voice from such a long distance. She was at school. She was fine.

* * *

"You dissected a cat?!" Misa cried out when I told her. We were on our way home when I told her. She didn't seem too happy about that. "Raito-kun! How could you? Cats are sweet and innocent and cute!"

I shrugged one shoulder. "I wanted to get a good grade." Misa shook her head at me.

I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket and I fished it out. "Hello?"

"Nii-san!" She sounded upset. And what was she doing using her cell phone at school? They didn't dismiss until thirty minutes after the high school does.

"Sayu, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nii-san! I'm at Nagasaki-chan's house! She won't wake up!"

"Ah!" I closed my cell phone and took off running. I could hear Misa call out as I left her behind.

"What's wrong, Raito-kun?"

I kept running, my chest tightening and my bag swinging wildly behind me. People stared at me as I ran past and some narrowly jumped away to avoid me; I was ready to run over or push anyone out of my way. A black car skid across the road and stopped beside me, making me pause.

The driver's side door opened and I saw blonde hair that belonged to none other than Mello. He was covered from head to foot in leather, and he still wore those same sunglasses. Pedestrians gave him strange looks but the kept staring at me.

"Do you have a sister named Sayu?" he asked me.

I blinked a few times at him. "Yeah," I finally said.

He opened the door to the backseat. "Get in. We'll take you there."

I obeyed and threw my big in before I climbed inside. In the front seat, I saw L sitting in his usual crouch with the seatbelt drawn across his chest. He gave me a smile, reminding me of a cat.

"Oh, yes," he said, "The family resemblance is uncanny."

Mello sped down the road, skillfully driving a stick shift. L explained to me about Sayu coming to see them.

"She said her friend thought she was being followed by a ghost and was haunting her," he said, thumbnail to his lips.

"Is she?" I asked.

He removed his thumb. "We don't know yet. We saw your sister earlier today and didn't have any time to see her friend to verify."

I nodded. So when I heard Sayu's voice earlier, she really was in trouble. Dammit! Why didn't I go after her? Some big brother I was!

The car stopped in front of the house, and I pushed my way out of the door. I ran to the door and threw it open as Mello and L followed calmly behind me. "Sayu?" I cried out.

"Nii-san! Up here!"

I jumped onto the stairs, but slipped on something wet and bumped my chin against the stair in front of me. "Ouch." What was this? Water? I stood back up, rubbed my chin, and saw a trail of water dripping down the stairs. Avoiding the water, I continued up the stairs with Mello and L at my heels. I located the bathroom by the trail of water and hurried to it. "Sayu!"

"Nii-san!" I saw her on the tile floor, soaking wet. She was holding her friend's head in her lap, her naked body was covered by a towel. "Nagasaki-chan won't wake up!" I saw my sister was crying, her tears mixed with the water. I looked around the scene and saw broken glass and the shattered shower door, then I spotted the trashcan with a large dent on the side.

When I looked back down to my sister and her sleeping friend, my heart constricted in my throat. There seemed to be a hazy black figure hovering around Nagasaki's body. I couldn't make out distinct features, other than it had arms, legs, a head, and a torso like a person. I tried to swallow but I couldn't. The room suddenly became very cold. It turned its head to me, looking at me with no eyes. I was frozen on the spot. I could hear my heart beat in my ears. Thump. Thump.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Mello behind me. "You okay?" he asked.

It took me a moment. Was I okay? I swallowed my heart and nodded, gaining my ground again and looked to my sister. "Sayu, let's go downstairs, and let them take care of her."

L carefully stepped around the glass so not to get any to stick to his bare feet. He didn't bend down to the body, but was staring at it. Could he also see that shadow person? "Yagami-kun, we may need your assistance."

I was just helping my sister up, and we both looked at him.

"What?" Sayu asked, her brows knitted closer together, "Why do you need Nii-san's help?"

L looked at her and smiled, his eyes closed. "Don't worry, Mello here will stay with you. I just need your brother to assist me." He lowered himself to a crouch beside the body. The shadow-thing retreated a bit. "You were right, Sayu-chan. Your friend is definitely being haunted."

Sayu suddenly burst into tears. I led her over to Mello. "Go with him, Sayu. I'll be down in just a minute."

Mello led her down the stairs with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. He kept them there. Good, I didn't want to become the over-protective older brother. I brought my attention back to L, who stood up once again. "Why do you need my help?"

L's black eyes blinked and then looked at me. "Can you see the black figure?" My eyes moved to the shadow, and I nodded. "This is what is haunting Orimo-san."

"Is this that Rogue you mentioned?"

"No, this is called a Dark Creature," he informed me, "It's created inside the mind until it takes a form."

My eyes widened. "Does that mean…" I looked back down to the naked girl and the shadow being the loomed over her, "Nagasaki created it?"

"Hai. That is why I need you." I looked over at him, his dark eyes pouring into me with authority. "I need you to get inside her head and see what caused this."

Inside her head? I felt a wave of nausea.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: A Bad Feeling**

(A/N): **WARNING**- Foul language ahead.

"Is this that Rogue you mentioned?"

"No, this is called a Dark Creature," he informed me, "It's created inside the mind until it takes a form."

My eyes widened. "Does that mean..." I looked back down to the naked girl and the shadow being the loomed over her, "Nagasaki created it?"

"Hai. That is why I need you." I looked over at him, his dark eyes pouring into me with authority. "I need you to get inside her head and see what caused this."

Inside her head? I felt a wave of nausea.

L squatted back down to Nagasaki and pressed two fingers to her wrist. "Her pulse is normal. She's probably just mentally exhausted." The shadow being didn't seem to want L to get near it. It kept batting away without getting away from Nagasaki.

I sat down next to him on my knees, soaking my school pants with water. "How do I...get inside her head?"

"The same way you always do."

"But..." I licked my dry lips, "But I can't listen to someone's thoughts when they're asleep."

His dark eyes moved to mine. "I'm not asking you to listen. I want you to see. You can see into people's memories, am I right?"

"What?" I blinked at him, my mouth agape, "How did you know…?"

"I need you to do it right now."

"But I've never done it on purpose. It was always by accident."

"Have you ever tried to see someone's memories?"

"N-Not really, but..."

"Try it now."

"What?"

His dark eyes bore into me. They were all I could look at. Was he hypnotizing me? Making me do it? Yet, when I saw him use his technique on Misa and her mother, his eyes were white, but right now they were still that haunted black. "You can do it, Yagami-kun."

I broke eye contact and looked back to Nagasaki and the black thing. I swallowed what felt like a golf ball and moved closer to her. I was glad the thing backed away; it didn't seem to want to touch me either. Okay, now how was I supposed to do this? I placed two fingers on each side of her temples; that was how it was always done in the movies. I closed my eyes and breathed, just like I used to do when I took Kendo in junior high. I could hear my old coach's voice in my ears. 'Concentrate Yagami. Ya have to concentrate. Concentrate…concentrate…concentrate…

And then I was falling. The sensation of wind blew around me, but I couldn't tell what they were. Strange designs and colors whirled around me like water marks. I could smell something. It smelled like clean clothes and rain. The colors and shapes blended together until I was standing inside a someone's bedroom. There was a bed and an open closet. On top of the bed was a basket of neatly folded clothes. Was this Nagasaki's room? She didn't seem to be in here. I walked over to the door, twisted the knob, and walked out into the hallway. If this was her house, it wasn't the one where I was before.

It was so quiet in this house. I could hear my footsteps fall against the wood floor.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Shit! I took off running down the hall until I was in a carpeted living room. I didn't see anyone. I knew that was Nagasaki who screamed. I ran left into the kitchen and I saw her one the floor. Her hair was shorter, cut to her shoulders, but she didn't seem to look much younger. She had on a white night gown that had tears in it.

"Please, don't hurt me anymore!" she cried out, lifting her hand over her head.

A figure loomed over her, but it was not the black being. It was a person. A girl with short red hair and devil-like eyes. The hair on my arms stood on end.

It was Nagasaki. There were two of them. The one with devil eyes raised her arm above her head, brandishing a machete.

"No!" I ran over and took the girl by the arm, keeping the knife in the air. We struggled against each other.

"Stop!" I heard the Nagasaki behind me scream, "Just let her kill me! I deserve it!"

'What?' I thought to myself. There was no way I was going to let this psycho-girl go and attack her. Who was this person anyway? Her sister? Did Nagasaki have a twin? The girl was smaller than me and weaker, so it was easy for me to keep her at bay. I looked back and saw Nagasaki rise to her feet.

"Please don't interfere," she said, "She's been trying for so long. Just let her do it."

"Are you out of your mind?" I snapped at her, "If you think I'm going to just stand by and let her kill you, you are sorely mistaken." I pushed the Nagasaki with devil eyes back. "I have a little sister, and because I'm her big brother I have to protect her."

Further back I pushed her. She growled deep in her throat and tried to wrench the knife away. I saw behind her that the floor and walls were breaking apart into nothingness. I knew it, I was winning. I was overcoming this strange phenomenon that was Nagasaki's mind.

We came to the edge where only nothingness was behind us. I looked back to Nagasaki. Her eyes were wide and her hand was over her heart. I gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be your big brother for now, so let me protect you."

Instead of pushing the evil Nagasaki over the edge like I had planned, she had somehow gained an upper foot and pushed me back. Now she had the knife pointed at me with her palm behind the hilt. She was going to drive it into my chest. Would it kill me?

"STOP!" The other Nagasaki ran past me and grabbed her double around the waist. Both of them tipped over the edge and they were falling. I put my hand out to grab them, but it was too late. I was also tumbling down.

"Yagami-kun."

His voice brought me back. I opened my eyes to the land of the living. Nagasaki was still asleep, but as I looked, I saw the black figure was gone. I looked to L who had that small smile on his lips.

"You did it, Yagami-kun."

"How...?" I breathed.

"How did you do it?" he finished for me. Then he pressed his fingernail between his teeth. "Who knows?"

* * *

Later we found out about Nagasaki's guilt. She had moved here recently from Kyoto because her mother's death. She didn't want to stay at school so she faked being ill. Her mother was stabbed in the back while at the market by a random robber while shopping for medicine. Nagasaki believed it was her fault. The trauma was too much for her.

It reminded me of a quote I once heard. "A beautiful mind can be a deadly tool", or something like that. Still, I had no idea how people thought inside their heads until I met up with the P.I.S., even with my thought-reading powers. The world around me now seemed more fragile and paper-like. We didn't just have to worry about the criminals, but other strange creatures humans weren't aware of. Perhaps it was because of P.I.S. that I began seeing more of these creatures I never had before. Over the weeks, I called them up several times about Hell Bugs I had seen on people passing them on the street. I would follow them to make sure.

"Here," Mello said to me, holding out the pen-like thing I had stabbed the Hell Bug on Misa, "Take this. You're finding Hell Bugs faster than we are. There's a neutralizer in the tip. It will make the person forget the last fifteen minutes."

I had yet to use it, thankfully.

It had been at that moment I realized that I had made myself one of them. I had entered the Paranormal Investigation Squad; granted that I refused to join before. Then I found myself actually looking forward to seeing them. My entire routine had changed. After school I would go directly to headquarters, or I would stop by home and change then go. I started to enjoy hanging out with Mello, Near, Matt, and L.

I started to learn more about the quadruples. Matt was very much into videogames and played them every chance he had, and he was supposed to stop smoking, so he did so in secret. Mello seemed to have an attachment to chocolate. I noticed he always seemed to have a bar of milk chocolate on him at all times. His relationship with Matt was that of a high friendship level, whereas his relationship with Near was like an older brother that teased and protected his little brother. Near was quiet and shy and had a strange interest in toys that seemed too young for his age, but was also a whiz at puzzles; everyday he was building a new one thousand piece puzzle. I could see that he envied Mello and Matt's friendship, though he never outwardly said anything; his shyness got in the way of his socialism.

L on the other hand was a different matter. It was hard for my mind to wrap around him, not just because I couldn't get inside his noggin in the first place. He was unlike anyone I had ever seen or met. Everything about him was odd, yet he radiated dominance. Even with his slumped over stance he seemed to tower above us all. He would immediately take control as soon as he walked into the room. He was a leader, a natural born leader. He also had a very strong liking to sweets, just like Mello, but as where Mello's taste was chocolate, L's taste seemed to be sugar. Period. Anything that had sugar he would eat; I had actually seen him eat plain sugar cubes. His particular diet made my teeth hurt.

However, I would never be able to tell my father about my relationship with the Paranormal Investigators. One day after I had arrived home just in time for dinner, I had overheard his conversation on the telephone and found out about his distaste toward the P.I.S.

"Those people in the Paranormal Squad or whatever are driving me crazy," I heard him say from his office. I stopped and leaned against the door to listen. "They keep bugging me to let them join. If they try to interfere with the Takami murder, we're going to arrest them for corrupting a police investigation."

I walked away in the opposite direction and went up the stairs to my room. I felt the pit of my stomach drop. If the Squad was involved, something must be happening, however, I couldn't allow L to continue the investigation after the threat I had just eavesdropped upon. I opened my cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hello," came the answer.

"L, this is Raito," I said.

"Hello Raito-kun," he said, "Is everything okay?"

"I heard my dad talking. He was talking about a Takami case. Heard of it?"

"Hmm. Oh yes, it is a murder case I believe. I've been trying to help the police by catching the killer but it seems they are stubborn to cooperate."

"Well, L, I think it might be best for you if you didn't intervene. Dad is threatening to throw you in jail."

"Yes, I've heard his threats toward my person. Do not fret, Raito-kun. I will be fine. I will only do what I need to do."

I didn't like the sound of that. The last thing I wanted to see was L in jail for trying to help police. "Please, L, just keep out of this one. They don't need you," I pleaded.

"But Raito-kun, they do need my help. They are just unaware of it at the moment."

This took me back. I paused for two seconds. "What do you mean?"

"Raito, I am a detective, but my field is in the paranormal."

"Does…does that mean something paranormal killed that woman?"

"Evidence seems to point to a Rogue, and we cannot let the police know anything about Rogues. You understand."

I opened my mouth to say that he could, but luckily I caught myself. They couldn't let the people know about Rogues, though I was yet to see one. It would cause an uproar, and I could just see the entire squad being sent to loony bins. "I understand. What will happen to the police's case if they aren't able to prove who did it?"

"Well, our case file will close when we discover what Rogue did it and bring it to justice. However, the police case file may continue to be unsolved. Many cold cases are because of the paranormal that they are unaware of. That is where we come in."

"Is that what you really do? Solve cases that deal with the paranormal?"

"I am not in position to release too much information to those outside the P.I.S., but you are a smart person."

So it was true. That was the real reason why the P.I.S. was formed. I paused, not saying anything. L stayed silent, knowing that I was still on the line. I ran my tongue over my teeth in thought. After a few seconds, I finally decided.

"L, I want to help you with the Takami case."

"That is unnecessary, Raito-kun, but thank you. I do not desire you to be in trouble with your father. He would not like it if he found out if his only son, a prodigy for the police at that, was hanging around a bunch of ghosts hunters." He ended with a small laugh.

"But..."

"Don't fret about it, Raito-kun. I will handle everything. I have to go. Thank you for everything. Goodbye."

I heard him hang up, but it took me a while to actually follow after him. I flopped down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. L could handle himself, I knew that, but did he really know that when my father said something, it was going to be done? Of course, L could always just hypnotize him not to put him in jail and help with the investigation, but he was better than that. He wouldn't do something like that.

"I only use my powers when the situation is dire," he had said to me one day at Headquarters, "I don't like to use my eyes for my own fortune, so I never will."

And I believed him. It was something about L and his haunted eyes that made you completely trust him. Something about his persona that made you feel safe around him, though he was far from the bodyguard type. Yet, something kept itching at me. Something didn't feel right...

* * *

Tonya LeBarski was just another tourist here in Tokyo and was only taking pictures of the scenery and whatever she could put in her scrapbook. Her camera was a digital, and after every flash of her camera, she would look at the screen to see if it was worthy of her taste, and if not, it would be deleted.

Her brown eyes shot over to the left while she stood, taking pictures of the cherry blossom trees. However, her target was not the falling sakuras, but the boys she was currently staring out in her peripheral vision. She turned slightly more, getting the boys in view of her camera.

'He wasn't kidding when he said I'd know who they were when I saw them,' she thought to herself.

Her camera zoomed in on the three boys that sat on the wooden and concrete bench. They all stood out like sore thumbs, but one in particular stood out the most: a white boy, white hair, pale skin, all dressed in white. The first she saw him she had done a double-take. The other two weren't albino looking. One had blonde hair that came to his shoulders and he wore black leather and vinyl and gloves. He had worn sunglasses and that severely disappointed her, but to her luck, he had removed them. The other one was the more plain one of the teenagers. Striped shirt, gloves, and goggles. It must've been the new look for kids.

She brought her camera to her face, eying through the eyepiece, focusing on Mello. That is what his name had been. Mello.

Click.

Click.

After a few more snapshots of the oblivious-to-being-stalked blonde, Tonya wiped her camera clean with a handkerchief and walked over to the boys.

She saw Mello, her camera target, push the striped shirt boy playfully as she approached.

"Excuse me," she said, talking to Mello, "I was wondering if you could take a picture of me." She only knew a few words of Japanese, but by the looks of them, they weren't from Japan either.

Mello smiled, a nice one too. "No problem. By the cherry blossoms?" He spoke perfect English. 'Just like he said he would,' she thought.

"Yes please," she smiled and handed him the digital camera.

Tonya walked over between two sakura trees and smiled. Mello pressed the button and it flashed. After the picture was taken, she quickly strolled over and took the camera from him.

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

"Do you want me to take another picture?" Mello asked, "I think you had your eyes closed."

She smiled and declined, then said her goodbyes and left the park. She was careful not to touch where Mello had touched. In her car, she placed the camera in a clear bag and zipped it tight. With a loud screech, the car zoomed off, leaving a tire trail where she skid.

Mello raised his eyebrows. "Strange woman," he muttered, digging into his pockets for a chocolate bar.

Matt shrugged his shoulders as his fingers played his Nintendo DS. "Probably late for something. She looked like a business woman."

As the car got farther away, Tonya looked in her rearview mirror to see them behind her. She could see the one of the albino boy--Near, she remembered from the notes on him--was staring at her, right into her eyes. His blue eyes boring into her brown ones through the mirror. That stare unnerved her, but she mentally shook her head.

There was no way he could know what she did. They knew nothing.

* * *

Though the weekend was approaching, my spirit was not lifted. The itching speculation that something bad was going to happen kept nagging at my brain all day at school. I was unable to go to Headquarters after school because of a chemistry exam Misa had to study for, and with her attention span and diluted brain for equations, it was going to be an all-day affair.

"But what if you took Aluminum and Argon?" Misa asked, staring at her open textbook as if it was a different language, "How would the equation go then?"

We sat at her kitchen table with books and papers spread around us. My palm was currently cradling my cheek as I stared in a daze at the jumble of words. "There wouldn't be an equation," I said groggily, "Argon is of the noble gases and can't combine with anything. It would just be Argon."

She pouted her bottom lip. "But, what about that electron sharing-thingy the teacher mentioned? Couldn't the Argon atom give his electron to the Aluminum one?"

"No," I answered bored, "Argon is a stable atom. It cannot give up it's electrons because then it would become unstable."

"I don't get it."

I caught myself before my head hit the table. Misa was my friend, but when it came to studying, I felt as if her ignorance was drain me of my own I.Q.

However, it seemed that luck had shown some mercy for me because right after that, my cell phone jingled and danced on the table. When I looked, I recognized Mello's cell phone number.

"I've got to take this," I said to Misa, then I answered, "Hello?"

"Raito?" It wasn't Mello.

"This is he," I said.

"Raito, this is Matt. Listen, um, we kind of need your help with something."

I felt a cold chill go down my spine. This was it, wasn't it? The reason I've been uptight all day.

"What is it?" I asked, calmly.

"Well..."

* * *

"Somebody stole my fucking car!" Mello yelled loudly, pulling at his blonde hair, "I can't believe this! Some asshole fucking stole my car!"

I stood at the scene. It was a parking garage downtown. Mello kept dancing around in one spot and pulling his hair. I assumed it was where the car was previously parked.

"When was did you find it missing?" I asked Matt.

He took a long drag of a cigarette and exhaled the gray smoke. "We left here around seven-thirty."

I looked at my watch. "That means it's been two hours. Have you made a police report yet?"

"--When I find them I'm going to rip off their heads and mount it on the hood of my car--!" Mello cried out again in anger.

"We're going to," Matt said, "But as you know the police aren't exactly kind to us right now."

"Right." I said. We both looked to watching Mello continue to curse profanity at people that weren't there.

"I'm not exactly sure how I can help you," I said, shrugging, "The best you can do is file a stolen vehicle report."

Mello marched over to me and snatched my cell phone right out of my pocket. "Hey!" I protested.

"Mine was stolen, remember," he grumbled as he began punching in numbers.

"That doesn't mean you can just take mine!" I snapped at him.

He ignored me and put my phone to his ear. "Hello L? Yeah, I'm fine. I've got Raito here with me." He looked to me, "L says hi." I rolled my eyes, but for someone reason, I felt a strange delight. "Look, I've got some really bad news; my car was stolen. Yeah. It doesn't matter that I left the keys inside. How do you think I'm going to get my car back? Why else would I call you? I'm sorry for snapping at you. Okay. Thanks."

He hung up the phone and smiled. I wasn't sure I liked that smile. It was quite creepy and dark.

And then Mello said, "I'm breaking into the security."


	6. Chapter 6

_(A/N): Sorry that I keep forgetting to upload this story. If you guys want, you can go on my deviantART account where I have up to chapter eleven posted. ;)_

**Chapter Six: Security Tape**

And then Mello said, "I'm breaking into the security."

"Are you out of your mind?!" I snapped at him

"What? Dude, No! You're on probation!" Matt cried at the same time as I did.

"If you get caught by the police, they'll put you in jail!"

"That's right. Yagami-kun should do it."

"Yes, I should--What?!" I turned my head sharply at Matt. How could he say something so absurd? There was no way I would break into security.

Matt shrugged and took another drag off his cigarette before throwing it on the ground and stomping it out with his shoe. "Well, you're the chief's son; if you're caught you can get away with it."

I glared at him angrily. "This is not some kind of childish prank we're talking about here! This is breaking and entering, which is a felon! I'd be a criminal!"

Mello put his hands up to quiet me, and quite frankly it did but I was still angry. "Look, L already said I could do it."

"Do what?!" I snapped again, feeling like a scolding mother, "He gave you permission?! To break into public security just to check and see who stole your car?" I was furious now. How could L even allow something like this to happen, and giving permission nonetheless! He might be a genius, but at times, especially right now, he was so damn childish and immature! "Just do what I said and file a police report."

"I said I would," Mello said, "But I'm not going to just wait around. It can go much faster if we know who did it." He smiled at me, trying to reassure me. "Don't worry. I can be invisible, remember?"

That was right. He could become invisible. It seemed to have slipped my mind, however, that did very little to reassure me. "You guys told me that you don't use your powers for bad. You're supposed to use them for good."

"Now who's sounding like a badly written anime?" Matt joked.

"Look, nobody is getting hurt," Mello said, "All I'm going to do is take the tape. Nobody ever checks the tape except when they need to. I bet that they just record over the same tape each time."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. It seemed that no matter what I did they were going to do what they pleased. There was no chance except for me to accept defeat.

"All right," I said, looking around to make sure that no one was around, "You have twenty minutes. The security office usually found in the basement floor and it will say 'Personnel Only'. Come back if it's locked."

"Don't worry," Mello said, giving me a thumbs-up, "I'm great at pick-locking."

I smacked my forehead with my palm as Mello disappeared literally from sight.

"And I'm telling L you're smoking again, Matt," he said.

"What? Dude, that's low."

The seconds ticked by and we didn't hear from him, telling us he had gone. We saw the elevator doors open and close. I turned to Matt.

"Why was he on probation again?" I asked.

"Breaking and entering," he told me with an innocent smile.

I groaned.  


* * *

  
Tonya checked herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. Her brown hair had turned blonde and her jaw became more square. Her eyes became a darker brown, her chest flat, and her hips square. She looked at the picture of Mello she had taken the day earlier and checked her reflection again. Repositioning a freckle, she took another gander at her naked body.

She looked enough like Mello to go along with the plan.

The hotel door threw itself open and a young man with flashy red hair spiked up with gel.

"Vow, with that body ya look halfvay decent," he said. He spoke English, but his accent was German, yet, wasn't his name Russian; Tonya couldn't remember.

Tonya put her hands on her newly developed waist and sent him a glare. "What the hell are you doing here, Vanya?" She and him never got along. Perhaps it was his golden eyes that gave her the creeps. However, his eyes were nothing compared to her boss'. She felt a chill go up her back at the mere image of him sitting in the dark.

"Don't be so mean, Sveetie," Vanya said as he plopped himself down on the stiff mattress, "I'm just 'ere to check up on ya. See how ya are doing and vhat not."

Tonya crossed her arms, feeling quite awkward without a pair of breast underneath. "So, he sent you there to make sure I didn't get chicken, is that it?"

"Vhy no, Sweetie," Vanya said again, a mischievous grin creating dimples on his cheeks, "I'm here to help ya. You have three days to pull this off. Got that? Three days." He held up three fingers to emphasis the exact amount of time as if she couldn't count without visual reference. "You can't just look like a man. You haff to valk like one, too. You haff to act like one, too, ya? That is vhy I am here."

Tonya didn't want to get near him. She sat on top of the dresser, not getting near the bed. "I know how to act like a man," she said, "I burp, fart, and laugh about it."

Vanya gave a hearty fake laugh. "Now Tonya, Sveetie," he said, reaching over and patting her knee. She wanted to slug him right there. "Boys are not just like that. You haff to act like Mello specifically. Haff you done what you vere asked to do?"

"Yes, I stole his car."

"That's good, that's good." He stood up and stretched. "Vell, I need to be going. I'll be back tomorrow to teach you the proper vay to valk. You look like a transvestite vith a cock shoved up his ass."

He left and shut the door behind him. Tonya grabbed the Holy Bible from the drawer and threw it at his head, but he left before it could hit him. She took in a deep breath and went back to the bathroom. Her loss of concentration had turned her hair brown. She changed it back to blonde, making a note that she needed to work on concentration.

While she was washing her hands, something caught her attention in the window. When she looked up, it scuttled away.

"Fucking Hell Bug," she grumbled, going back washing.

So Vanya had sent bugs to spy on her. This is why she hated Rogues.  


* * *

  
Matt and I waited in the parking garage. Boredom overtook us so I looked over his shoulder as he played on his hand-held Nintendo. He had just beaten the third level when I felt something tug on my sleeve.

"It's me," Mello said, still invisible," There's something on this tape that is definitely not right. We're taking it to L."

Matt and I both gave curt nods to each other to signify to Mello that we understood. Matt closed his GameBoy and we made our way out of the garage. When the cameras were out of view, Mello became visible again. I noticed a square shape in the overly large pockets of his where obviously a VHS tape was stored.

As we took the bus downtown--Mello grumbling the whole time about having to take the bus at all--I thought about the tape. Mello didn't outright say what he saw on the tape, but it was enough that it needed L's viewing. Matt got a few irritated glares from people as his Gameboy beeped and played heroic music as he continued on his electronic fantasy adventure.

We got off the bus and walked the rest of the way to Headquarters. A black Jeep took Mello's attention.

"Crap," he murmured as we walked past, "What are they doing here?"

I was going to ask what he meant, but I postponed. It felt like I would find out soon.

And almost immediately, the front entrance opened and out walked a woman in a business suit, followed by a younger child. The woman had bleach blonde hair and pale gray eyes. The little girl had her brown hair in pigtails and she looked up at us with wide brown eyes, and she was holding the woman's hand. Mother and child? They didn't look alike.

"Ah, so there you are Mello," said the woman in a smooth voice, "I was beginning to think I wouldn't run into you."

"Next time I'll take my time getting home," Mello muttered lowly.

"Ah, home is it now?" the woman said, her beautiful painted on lips curving into a smirk, "You've only been here for three months. It would be such a pity if something were to happen and you had to leave."

Mello's face twisted into a snarl as the woman and the child opened the Jeep's doors and climbed inside. We walked inside the building before they drove off. It was very evident that he was upset by his body language and the mumbling he did. Matt and I followed him upstairs to their living quarters.

Near sat on the floor, playing with action figures. He didn't look up when we entered, most likely knowing who we were thanks to his tracking ability. However, one was person was not in the room.

"Where's L?" Matt asked.

"He's in the shower," Near answered. He turned his head to look at us, "Did you see who came to visit us?"

Mello let out an agitated sigh and plopped himself down on the couch. "Yeah, Halle and Linda," he mumbled, "Great."

"Who are Halle and Linda?" I asked, sitting down on the opposite couch.

"Halle is the old one," Mello said, "She's a normal human but she works for the same agency as we do. The kid is Linda, her subordinate."

Now I had more questions. "You mean there are more of you guys? I mean, other departments who go after paranormal things?"

Near shuffled and took a seat next to Mello. "Of course there are more agencies. You don't expect us to take care of everything in the world, do you? We'd be very busy."

Mello made a noise deep in his throat, like a snort. "I don't believe it," he said, staring at Near like he was a trophy, "The boy can make jokes!"

Matt clapped his hands together, "He grows up so fast!"

I saw Near roll his eyes. It amused me to watch these three interact when I had the chance.

"Matt, have you been smoking?" came a voice from behind us. We all craned our necks and saw L standing there in his baggy jeans and oversized shirt. I noticed that his hair was damp and sat flat on his head. He walked over with his shoulders sagging and sat down in his reserve chair in a gargoyle style.

"N-No," Matt lied, shaking his hands, "We had to take the bus and you know how many people smoke there."

"Mmhmm," L sounded, not believing a single word, "Mello, do you have the security tape?"

"Yes." Mello stood up and put the tape inside the VCR and sat back down on the couch.

L opened his laptop. I learned earlier that L's laptop was like the central computer for everything here at the office. It seemed that he could control everything by that computer; I could've sworn I saw him use it to turn on the coffee-maker once.

Skillfully using one hand to type while the other held onto a cookie he was nibbling on. The wide television screen blinked and the parking garage came on. Cars sped by as L fast-forward it. I watched for anything suspicious.

Then L paused it. "Did anybody else catch that?"

None of us said anything. We hadn't even gotten to Mello's car. L rewound the tape and played it again. I watched a blue car go by. Then another green car. Then another blue car twenty minutes later. Then I saw a couple holding hands walking towards the elevator. Then another blue car.

"Wait a minute," I mumbled. L looked over to me. I pointed to the screen, "It's the same blue car that keeps circling. Every fifteen to twenty minutes you see it." And just as I said, the blue car made it's way around again, never parking.

Mello leaned forward. "Hmm."

Then we saw Mello's black car pull up and park in a spot. Mello and Matt stepped out. We saw Matt light up a cigarette; L cast a look in Matt's direction, who was suddenly interested in a loose string on his sleeve. They both walked and talked to the elevator and disappeared.

"What have you learned today, Mello?" L asked, keeping his eyes on the video.

"Take the keys with you," he muttered.

"It's that same car again," I said. We watched as the blue car suddenly came into view again, significantly slowing down when it approached Mello's car.

"It's seeing if it there is someone inside," said Near.

And we all watched and studied as the car drove by, not doing anything to Mello's car. L rewound it so the car was back in view. I heard the pounding of keys and the screen divided and divided until it showed the cars license plate. L's computer skills amazed me; I had only seen stuff like this in television shows. He cleared the blurriness of the frame. We all leaned forward to read it.

"M…D…H…783," Matt read aloud.

"That makes it an American license plate," L mumbled with his thumb in his mouth. "Mello, do a search on that plate and…"

He trailed off and we knew why. We watched as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out. He approached the car and opened the door. He drove away with Mello's car.

He was Mello.

I wasn't sure what I was looking at. Mello took his own car? But…how? My eyes cast over to where Mello was seated. His eyes were narrowed and angry.

"Son of a bitch," he grumbled.

"What is it?" I asked, very confused on the issue, "Who is that really?"

"I would say it is either a C-2, or a C-3," L mumbled, "C-2 seems more logical though."

"A what?"

It was Mello that answered me. "The agency gives us ranks as classifications. Normal and average people are called rank A. People that are aware of the paranormal for example having seen them or are aware of them are rank B. Matt here's a rank B." Matt gave a small wave and a smile to me. "Rank Cs are people like us with abnormal abilities of the paranormal. We're classified as C-1s because we're part of a society separated from average humans. C-2s are the same, but their organization is separate from our society, and they are usually part of a crime organization. C-3s are abnormal people with no organization and live on their own turf. Usually they aren't aware of any organization, and they usually end up doing crime."

His attention turned to L then. "But, why do you think it's a C-2 instead of a C-3?"

"I could be wrong," L said, "However, there is only a thirty-four percent chance of that. The reason is because she sought Mello as her target."

"She?" I questioned.

L nodded, picking up another cookie from a tray I was unaware of, "The way she walks gives her gender away. One foot in front of the other. She's also too rigid with her hips, as if she has to force herself to walk more manly."

Matt piped up. "But, how do you know it's not a random crime and that Mello just happened to be who she saw?"

L turned his head to look at me, smirking a small grin. "Can you tell, Raito-kun?"

I was caught off guard by his question. I had already spotted it when I watched the tape. It stood out to me more than anything else.

"Because she was waiting for Mello," I said, "There are hundreds of cars in that garage, yet she kept circling around, waiting for Mello to show up. She never saw his face, yet she looks exactly like him. Which means, she must've been following. She was probably even aware of his habit of keeping his keys in the car. And if she knew who Mello was, she must know about the Paranormal Investigators, and knowing this and still choosing him as her target suggests that a higher up is pulling the strings. She was ordered to do this."

"That is all correct," L said, nodding to me.

I suddenly felt my face heat up for no apparent reason and I ducked my head to avoid eye contact. Why was I getting so shy around L all of the sudden?

"And this person can change shape," Near said, "Which means, we would have no idea we were being followed or not. They can be anyone, and we would be unaware."

"We will have to be on our toes," L said, "This is more than just a grand theft auto. Something big is being plotted and we are their targets."

I looked back to the television where the Mello impersonator was in freeze-frame. I could feel a sense of edginess creep into my spine. We can't trust anyone until we know what's going on. I really understood how frightening people like us could be, and how deadly.

I swallowed.


	7. Chapter 7

_(A/N): To read all the chapters up to 11, search for me on deviantARTdotcom. I have the same username. :)_

**Chapter Seven: The Prisoner**

Ever since we watched the tape, we have all been on edge; well, L and Near seemed to act the same since they didn't show much enthusiasm in anything, really. I tried to remain normal and stoic during school, and it seemed to have worked because no one asked me what the matter was. For precaution, we stayed together in pairs. Mello, Matt, and Near had to remain together, which left only me. I didn't mind so much, but what really worried me was what L told me yesterday.

"I want you to stop coming over," he had suddenly said.

Taken aback at his sudden command, I blinked twice. "Excuse me?"

L kept staring up at me as he sipped his sugar-loaded tea. "You are not an agent. There is no need for you to be here."

My jaw dropped in shock at his bluntness. Then I closed it and clenched my teeth in anger. "How can you say that? After everything I've done for you! I've been with you for weeks and you're just going to kick me out?"

"I'm doing this for your safety, Raito-kun," he said, "I'm not going to have an innocent civilian get caught up in a supernatural quarrel until I am sure it will not cause any harm to anyone."

I was so angry that I grabbed him by the front of his shirt, lifting him out of his seat. I could feel that his body was thinner than I imagined it, and he was much lighter than he looked. However, I was still mad.

"How can you say that?" I yelled in his face, "I've told you time and time again that I wanted to join, but you just keep ignoring me! If there's a series of tests or an initiation, then fine! I'll do it!"

L's demeanor didn't falter at all. He didn't even seem to care that I had his shirt in my fist in a threatening manner. "Raito-kun, I never invited you to join. You welcomed yourself."

My teeth were beginning to hurt. I looked up to this man. I had actually started to really like him, and then he does this. It hurt me in a way.

I pulled back my fist back and punched him in the cheek. I put all my anger and frustration and hurt into that punch. The force made him tumble out of his chair. It left me breathless and shaking with rage. And L only wiped his mouth where a sliver of slobber had escaped.

"Perhaps I was a bit too brash," he said, getting up into a crouch, "What I meant to say is since we don't know who we're dealing with, we don't know who or what their target is, or what they will do to obtain said target. I understand that you wish to help us, but we're not dealing with people who play by the rules. To them, everyone is a target. Who do you think they will go after if they discover you are a paranormal child who has relations to the P.I.S.? They won't go for you first. They'll go after those you care about. Misa-san, your father, your mother, your sister."

I swallowed. My family. I had forgotten about them. I wanted to help L and the others, but I also needed to stay for my family. Mello, Matt, Near, and L could protect themselves. My family could not. They were oblivious to what was going on in paranormal. They were oblivious to me being apart of the paranormal.

I cast my eyes downward. "I see…"

"Oh, and Raito-kun," I heard L say.

"Hm?" I looked up to him, to see him put his palms on the ground.

WHAM! His kick was much harder than my punch, hitting me right in the sternum. All the breath in my lungs expelled and I was falling backwards, arms out, and I landed on my back. Breathing suddenly became difficult as I gasped in mouthfuls, curling up in the fetal position and holding my aching chest. I became aware of L standing over me.

"An eye for an eye," he said. Then he stuck his hand out to assist me in standing.

I looked at him with a painful expression, however, I was not mad at him. I did hit him first; his just happened to be much more painful than mine. I took his hand and he helped me up.

"Urgh," I grumbled as I rubbed my chest through my shirt, "I think you broke something."

L cast me a blank look-over, then his fingers grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it up. I could feel blood suddenly rush in my cheeks and under my eyes because my bare chest was exposed to him. I refrained from shivering when his fingertips touched my skin where he kicked me.

"Nothing is broken," he said, "Just a bruise." His hand stayed over my sternum. Could he feel my heartbeat was slowing becoming more erratic? "Perhaps I kicked too hard. Does it still hurt?"

Numbly I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. He removed his hand and put my shirt back down.

I swallowed and regained my composure. "How…How did you learn to do that?"

"Kick?" He looked up at me as he remained his seating on the plush chair, "I've taken a few martial arts classes at the academy."

Something told me that he wasn't giving himself enough credit. Yet, I couldn't really imagine him in a fist fight.

"I'm glad you understand." He took a sip of his tea, "However, there is a chance that they might already know about you." He set the teacup on the saucer. "So, we will be watching you to make sure that nothing happens, while we remain inconspicuous."

I nodded. "So, this is goodbye?"

"For now."

I walked towards the door and picked up my schoolbag. Then I paused and walked back to L while fishing around in my bag.

"Here," I said, jabbing a wrapped package with a bow his way, "I'm probably going to miss Near's birthday so here's his present."

L took it, gazing at me with those haunted black eyes. "Thank you, Raito-kun. I didn't even know you were aware that his birthday was approaching."

"I found out."

L nodded. "Of course. Your mind-reading abilities still amaze me. I will have to watch what I am thinking when I am around you…"

"Actually," I interrupted, "Your thoughts are the only ones that I can't hear." He blinked up at me. "I was wondering if you might know why?"

His thumb was brought to his lips in thought. "I haven't the foggiest clue. That is bizarre…"

I nodded and then turned around. Down the steps I went and out the door. I heard the familiar chime, as if it was also saying goodbye.

That had happened only yesterday, and still I was beginning to miss them. Across the school is a hotel that students would sneak off to. In my English class, I could see the whole building in my seat. Was L or somebody else watching me from one of those rooms? Or were they watching me from somewhere else? I never doubted L's words. Yet, as I translated sentences on my worksheet from Japanese to English, I still couldn't get him out of my head. It was as if L had invaded my thoughts instead of the other way around. My chest still tingled.

That morning I had come to a very serious conclusion. As soon as I had opened my eyes, the realization came to me.

I liked L. I really liked L. How bizarre it was for me, a very popular high school senior, to like someone like L. He was older than me, though I never asked by how many years. He was the leader of the P.I.S. and if I worked for them, he would be my boss. Oh, and he was a male. Now was not the time to indulge and explore in my newly discovered sexuality.

I suddenly became aware that someone was calling my name. I looked up and saw a pair of breasts in my view.

"Hello Misa," I said, "Can I help you with anything."

She had a pout on her face. "The bell rang."

I cast my eyes about the room, realizing it was empty save for Misa and myself. "Oh. I must've been daydreaming."

Misa smiled and slapped her hands on my desk. "Oh! Raito! Look what I've got for us!" She waved a pair of tickets in my face. "It's for the Romeo and Juliet play but with the Japanese culture. Let's go see it!"

"Um…" My first thought was to decline and say that I had homework, seeing as how I was in advanced classes it would be acceptable. However, spending time with Misa might take my mind off L for a while. So I smiled and nodded my head. "Sure. Why not."

She grabbed me around the shoulders and hugged me tight, screeching words of thanks.

* * *

  
This was almost exactly what Tonya had imagined it to be like. There were no gates or guards with guns, however, it was on an island in the middle of a large body of salt water, more salt than the Dead Sea, and twice as quickly to be excruciatingly painful and deadly. The prison was on a large island like Alcatraz in the San Francisco Bay. Boats were not allowed, instead they used a cable car that only transported twice a day. One in the morning to the island, and one in the afternoon out, never at night. And they only allowed one passenger at a time, which is why Tonya was by herself.

However, it wasn't "Tonya" that the two guards holding rifles and staring ahead were accompanying. No, they only saw second year lieutenant agent Mello under the order of special agent of the paranormal enforces L to visit such a place. She showed them her credentials and papers, very grateful to Simon's counterfeiting abilities, however, they were a little skeptical on the prisoner she wished to see. However, apparently this "L" was a very infamous person with the largest Paranormal Agency in existence. Tonya felt cold feet coming on, however, it was her own duty to do this. This, or be killed. Yet, she couldn't help but feel that she was walking into her own death.

The car came down to a platform and the doors were swung open. Tonya had to once again show her credentials and authorization to gain entrance. The soldier seemed to be a higher up, perhaps a general with his more badges and the way the soldiers who accompanied her were saluting like the trained puppies they were.

"Hrm," he grumbled, rubbing his chin, "By order of L, eh?"

Tonya nodded. Her face very serious.

"May I ask why you need to see this particular prisoner? His death sentence has been set and the date is…"

"I am aware of his sentencing," Tonya interrupted, "I am not here to revoke his sentencing. I am here because his name came up in a certain case, and I have been asked to see what his input is. Nothing is going to change."

The guard nodded. "What case is it?"

"That is confidential between agents."

He cast her an annoyed look and then waved for her to follow him. She marched beside him, into the stone building and past all the guards. Inside was looked like medieval torture cellar. She had been in a normal human prison before, but she felt that she would lose her mind if she had to stay one night here. The walls were concrete and all the doors were metal and had large bolts and locks. Each guard was holding a rifle, and she assumed it was locked and loaded, ready at all times. Because to normal people, we are deadly and misbehavior meant death.

She was led to a lift and was lowered and lowered. She actually saw a few prisons, covered in shackles from head to foot and being lead with at least two soldiers.

"It is meal time," her escort told her, "The good prisoners get to eat in the cafeteria."

"Mello" nodded her head. She put a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear, not liking hair in her face. Good prisoners? What an oxymoron.

The lift suddenly stopped. The wire cage doors opened and allowed them to pass. Tonya followed behind the general, whom she still had no idea what his name was, and they climbed more and more steps to a lower level.

The hair on her arm stood up on end. Was this guy so deadly and dangerous that he had to literally be ten twenty stories below ground? She could feel her heartbeat rise in her chest. She swallowed twice to try to control her anxiety.

Down the hallway she followed. Ahead of her, she saw the same metallic door with locks and bolts she had passed before, except, there were two guards by the door, one being female. The general approached them and she watched as there was head nodding and hand movements. The two guards' eyes flickered her way, then nodded. They unlocked each bolt and nodded her forward.

Her legs felt like jelly as Tonya walked forward, head held high like the real Mello would do. They swung the metallic door open and she stepped inside. The walls were completely white, and the floor was tile. There was no furniture except for one chair.

And he was sitting in it.

The loud clank of the metallic door closing and the sliding and clicking of locks made her turn around. They had locked her in with a maniac. She whipped her head around again to see him, realizing that he could do no harm to her at all. He could not even move. He was wrapped tightly in a straightjacket, his hands uselessly behind him. His calves were strapped down with leather straps and a large brown one around his middle and the back of the chair. His hair was black and messy, and he looked extremely thin and malnourished. Covering his bony cheeks and eyes was what looked like a black blindfold, held down to his head by another leather strap, looking like a belt; she was very grateful for not being able to see his eyes, because she had heard that one look could kill you.

How true that was.

She realized that she was shaking. All the warmth suddenly seemed to be sucked from her body, leaving her cold and fragile and unsafe. She didn't want to be alone with this man. She wanted those guards with guns to follow her inside, but they had wimped out. This serial killer psycho was strapped down to a chair, and she still feared him.

Slowly he lifted his head up to look at her with his blindfold.

"Ah," he said with a crooked smile, "It seems that a woman has graced me with her presence. To be here, you must know who I am, but may I ask who you are?"

He could tell she was really a woman? And he was so polite that it chilled her either more. He was a serial killer with powers and was sentenced to death, yet he acted as if they were sharing a cup of tea together in his home.

She licked her lips. "Yes, I…have heard of you." She spoke quietly to keep wondering ears off their conversation.

"You can speak up," he told her, "They can't hear you. I am immobile and blind, so you are in no danger." He cocked his head to the side. "So tell me, what brings you here to my cozy little cell?"

Tonya sucked in a breath of air and brought her will and dignity forward. "Yes, I work with Vanya and Simon. They have sent me here. My name is Tonya LeBarski."

He nodded, his smile more wicked than ever. "Yes, I remember them. They were my most loyal ones. It seems that they are still loyal to me to the end. Tell them that I am very grateful."

Tonya swallowed. "They…They want you to tell them yourself."

His smiled widened even more. She could see his sharp canines as he ran his pink tongue across the surface of his teeth.

"Really now?"

She swallowed.  


* * *

  
Tonya only had five minutes to be left in there, which was too many minutes in her opinion. As soon as that door was opened, she marched out of there, not pausing when they called out Mello's name. Her ears rang of his cackle, gripping her heart and turning it to ice. He was turning her into a corpse before her death.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, causing her to flinch. It was the general who had brought her there to that hell. Now he looked concerned.

"Are you okay, Mr. Mello?" he asked, gripping her shoulder tighter.

She quickly shook her head. "Y-Yes," she said, "Can you…direct me to the restroom?"

He lifted his hand and pointed it to the door of the men's restroom. Tonya darted to it, shutting and locking herself in. She ran to the urinal and grabbed the porcelain walls and vomited all her stomach contents and bile and fear and anxiety into it. She started dry heaving, as if trying to upchuck her organs with her last meal.

The way he constricted fear into you. The way he took dominance even when he was bound to a chair and all freedom denied. She felt as if she would never be the same again when she was in that room. Now she knew why the guards didn't follow her in there. Would bullets even kill that beast?

She shuffled to the sink of trembling legs and splashed her face with cold water. Mello looked back in her reflection, pale and shaken. She took a deep breath and calmed herself the best she could. Now she couldn't leave. She would have to obey that wicked man for the rest of her life until death took mercy on her. There was no escape because she had given him her real name. She suddenly felt like crying.

Such a horrible, horrible man that Beyond Birthday.


	8. Chapter 8

_(A/N): Because of such a hectic life right now, I'm gonna upload the next chapter early. If you want to cheat, you can read up to ch. 11 on deviantART. My username is the same._

**Chapter Eight: Escape**

I changed into dress shirt and pants and Misa changed into a slimming black dress. My father drove us to the theatre. My attempts at keeping L away from my thoughts failed. At the beginning of the play when Sampson bit his thumb in insult to Abraham and Balthazar, I thought of the way L always nibbled on his thumbnail in thought; of course, I had to explain to Misa that biting one's thumb was the equivalent of the American "finger".

Romeo and Juliet were played by Japanese actors and actresses and wore kimonos instead of the European attire of the 1600s. Misa had a hold of my hand as she watched the romance between the main characters interact. If I were a critic, I would probably give this play a four out of ten; it just was not as entertaining as the English version. As the play drew towards the climax, I felt Misa's hand tighten in mine when a distraught Juliet discovered her Romeo dead.

After the final act, the curtain closed and we stood up and applauded, some out of politeness. The actors walked on stage, hand in hand and bowed. Beside me, Misa was going ecstatic, jumping up and down and reverently clapping her hands. I checked my watch, a habit I've had recently, only to remember that there wasn't anywhere I needed to be.

We left the theatre and I took her out to dinner. She told me of a modeling job she had been offered and was contemplating whether or not to take it since they wanted her to pose in bikinis.

"My mom is, like, totally against it, but I told her that I'm almost legally an adult, and I can, like, do what I want. So then she, like, said that I can be a clothing model, but not a bikini model, and I was, like, what's the difference? I wasn't going to be, like, nude or anything."

It had been a long while since I had actually had a conversation with Misa--which usually consisted of her talking and me nodding my head--but I found myself actually listening and paying attention to her. Not because I was interested in what she was saying, but I made a game of mentally counting the times she said 'like'. I was up to sixteen and the waiter had yet to return with our drinks.

She continued talking in this one-sided conversation, and I nodded my head in agreement. The waiter brought our drinks and took our orders.

"L, there's something I want to ask you."

I turned my head towards the table, expecting to see L sitting in his odd way, but instead I only saw a red-haired woman with her hand covering her mouth and a man kneeling on one knee in front of her. It was not L, but a girl named Elle. The man proposed, she said yes, blah blah blah, we clapped. I sipped my drink and heard the woman's voice reach my ears.

_'Asking me to marry you in front of all these people, how am I supposed to say no without embarrassing myself? This isn't even a five star restaurant! Cheap-ass!'_

I snorted into my glass.  


* * *

  
Tonya LeBarski had given him time. That was the most useful she had been when she visited him. When she arrived, he knew immediately that it was morning. He knew of the cable car's schedule, which meant that it had to be morning when she came to visit him. He had no windows to hear the chirps of birds, and no birds lived underground. However, beautiful little Tonya had given him more than just idle chit chat.

His brain was more functional than a normal person's, and he knew how to use it. As soon as he had heard the door click open, he started counting, knowing it took approximately two minutes and twenty-three seconds to get down here. He estimated that it took another minute to two minutes and thirty seconds to confirm the fake credentials. So right when he heard the door click, he counted. As he and Tonya talked, he counted. He counted as one of the security guards escorted a nurse down to see him and attach a feeding tube to his stomach; he was not allowed to use his hands. Beyond could have attacked them then, but not yet! If his deductions were correct, and they were, it was too early. He would have to wait till dinner, when the same nurse--or it could be another?--came to give him his daily gunk of nutrients to barely keep him alive till death.

Beyond kept his head down, chin lolling on his chest, looking like he was sleeping, but he never slept. Just like_ he_ never slept. He was counting.

And right on cue, he heard the beginning of his escape.

Click.

He heard footsteps coming toward him. They didn't even talk as they came over and lifted his shirt to stab him once again in the stomach to keep him alive.

Beyond lifted his head, and the drape across his eyes fell to his neck. Unable to stop herself, the nurse looked up, meeting his deadly gaze of devil red eyes.

He smiled wickedly, flashing his canines. "Hello there. It's so good to_ see_ you."

The security guard barked a command into his walkie-talkie, but it was useless because the nurse's needle stabbed into his neck, pushing down on the syringe and filling his artery with air. The air bubble traveled to his heart causing a muscle spasm.

Down the guard went, clutching his chest. Then he didn't move and his heart pumped no more. The nurse's face was completely blank, like a zombie.

"Good girl," came Beyond's voice; the only voice she could hear, "Now, be a sport and untie me."  


* * *

  
It was almost one in the morning when L's cell phone rang. He sat in the living room with his laptop on the couch with him when it vibrated on the table. He picked up it, recognized the number, and brought it to his ear using only his index finger and thumb.

"Hello?" He spoke in English.

"Hello L," came another English voice at the other end, "Sorry to be calling you so late at night. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Of course not, Watari," L said, leaning slightly more back into the couch, "You should be well aware of my sleep patterns."

"Yes, well, I meant that hoped my call hadn't disturbed you in anyway."

"Your calls could never disturb me, Watari. But tell me, is there a reason you have called me at six in the morning in England?"

"There is a reason I have called you. Now, please don't worry at all, L."

"Watari, what has happened?"

"Nothing too serious."

"What number are you calling me from?"

"A hospital number."

L inhaled a deep breath through his nose. "What happened?"

"It was only a minor heart attack, and I'm being hospitalized for a day."

"Do I need to come home?"

"Oh, heavens no! I called because my doctor says it was due to stress, and they told me to keep away from stressful things. I called to see where you were so I can stay on the other side of the planet."

L chuckled fairly at this joke. Watari always made him happy. "Well, I hope you take care of yourself. And if you're trying to keep away from me as possible, you're very safe in England."

Watari chuckled this time. The two chit-chatted for a few more minutes before saying goodbye and hanging up. L stood up from the couch and stretched his back. He walked down the hall to the restroom, passing by Near's door, only to take another step back and peek inside.

Near was asleep and was hovering over his bed about a foot off. His arms and legs were limp and his chin was pointed toward the ceiling while his chest seemed to be pulled by strings. L walked inside, being careful not to disturb him, and gently pressed down on Near's chest and gently guided him back down on the mattress. Near didn't seem disturbed at all.

But that quickly changed when L's wrist was grabbed and Near's eyes flew open in fright.

"Near?" L calmly said with concern.

Blue eyes wandered in his direction and the small albino boy flinched roughly as if he saw L as a monster. His eyes were very wide and his pupils dilated, but that could have been because of the lack of light.

"Near? Are you okay?" L asked again.

The boy didn't say anything. He just looked at L and blinked rapidly before seeming to calm down. He inhaled deeply. L noticed that he still held onto his wrist, only now that wrist was shaking.

"I apologize," Near mumbled, "I had a bad dream."

L nodded. "It's okay." He looked down at his wrist. "You can let go now."

Near let go and wiped his hand on his pajama top. He looked over at the clock on his nightstand, but didn't say anything.

"Want to talk about it?" L said, meaning the dream.

Near shrugged. "It was nothing. Just a dream. I hardly remember it."

L nodded. "You going to be okay?" Near gave him a small nod and a smile. "All right. I'll be awake if you need me."

Quietly, he left the room. Near let out a breath of air he wasn't aware he was holding and rolled over to look at the clock. He lied to L. He remembered his dream clearly and it scared him.

He dreamt that L was a murderer.  


* * *

  
The guards at north point got a distress call at approximately eight pm about an attack. Apparently one of the prisoners escaped. They pulled up the cable car, unknowing that it would lead them into their death.

The large wires pulled the car across the acidic body of water. When it landed on the platform, two officers, with guns drawn, proceeded to it cautiously. With the butt of their guns, the pushed the steel-wired doors open. Yet, when they peered inside, they saw nothing.

"He must still be on the island," one of the guards called out to his buddy.

And then his buddy shot him. In the gut, the bullet from his rifle pierced right underneath his sternum, slashing through his liver and gallbladder. Blood spewed into his hand that feebly tried to cover it up. He looked to his friend, his deceitful friend, and saw someone behind him. Beyond in all his heinous glory. Red eyes like the devil, clothes stained with blood, and a stolen rifle in his hand, however, it was the fellow officer that shot him.

Beyond put his hand on his zombie-fied slave, one finger at a time. "Very good. Now, before you kill yourself, I need you to send a message for me. To someone very, very important to me."

And Beyond laughed.

* * *

  
At six A.M., L got a message on his computer for a conference with some agents from his agency. He attached his microphone and entered the chat room. On the video that was pulled up, he saw five men in black suits and ties sitting around a large glossy table; they were unable to see him, only a gothic letter 'L'.

"We're sorry to have to contact you so early, Mr. L," said the man at the very end, the leader of this group of people.

"It is no problem," L said into the microphone, almost hearing his scrambled and disguised voice on the other side, "What is this matter that you need me for."

"Seven people were killed at the House," he said, "All by the same person. He's someone you put away."

"I have put many people away, to that very prison," L said.

"There's more. The seven killed either killed themselves or each other. One inmate escaped. Someone you put there eight years ago." L bit down almost painfully on his thumb. "He's out there, L. BB is out there in the real world."

He bit down too hard and tasted blood.

* * *

_(A/N): I've had some questions about the conversation between L and Watari. L is in Japan, but Watari is in England, which means that it's six A.M. over in England, not Japan. Time zones, remember._ _Thanks for reading everyone! :)_


	9. Chapter 9

**P.I.S. Chapter Nine: Fool**

"The House" was a codename for the most secured prison of the supernatural. The only prison with the "shoot to kill" rule. Any prisoner who misbehaved were susceptible to being shot with rifles to death. Contained in those bullets were a chemical mixture that stun the nerve cells, making the person's abilities useless.

The House lied in the Bermuda Triangle. An unseen barrier made it undetectable in the eyes of regular humans. Any ships coming near the House would be veered off course by a strange force they were unaware of, given the legend that many ships disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.

Eight years ago, L captured the infamous killer BB and sentenced him to death. BB was to sent to the most secured and lockdown level of The House. With all the drugs they kept giving him, everyone suspected him to be nothing more than a slumped over body with no capability of standing up on his own, let alone using his powers. However, drugs had no effect on BB, not even the nerve cell stun guns.

Now L had to think. Eight years ago it was just him. Now he had Mello, Near, Matt, and Light. He had to worry about their safety. With the most dangerous person on Earth free and thriving, everyone was in danger. BB would not stop and he would kill anyone who got in his way of claiming his target.

And his target was L. It had always been L.

The said detective bit down hard on his thumb, already bandaged from earlier. He was reviewing the tapes that were sent over through email. It was just what he had suspected. A Mello impersonator had entered the House grounds by means of fake documents with a fake signature of L--which he had faxed over. The copies were nearly fool-proof, which told him that only a traitor on their side could do such a thing. Someone who was apart of the Company. But who?

And how much did they know? They obviously knew about Mello working for him. Most likely they were aware of Matt and Near, but what about the status on Light? He was an unofficial agent, not even an agent, really. Was he safe? No, he was not safe. None of them were safe with BB on the loose.

They had to leave, disappear somewhere until L knew more on Beyond Birthday's location. He had to put the four of them somewhere safe, that was his duty. Matt, Mello, and Near would follow his orders, however, Light would be a different story. He resided in his parents house, with his mother, father, and sister. They would be put in danger, too. He had to come up with a way to get them away without them suspecting anything.

Behind him he heard someone yawn. He glanced behind him before looking back to his computer.

"You're up early today, Mello," L said, still staring at screen.

"Urgh," Mello groaned, scratching his rear through his pajama bottoms. He opened the refrigerator and peered inside at its contents. "It feels like I haven't slept in days." He blinked and then cocked his head in L's direction, "No offense."

"None taken."

Mello poured himself a glass of orange juice and walked into the room where L was. "I heard Near across the room last night."

"Yes, he had a nightmare," L said, typing something on his computer.

Mello was on his way back to his bedroom when L called out to him.

"Mello," he said, "I'll need you to do me a favor tonight. It's very important."

The blonde looked back at him, and nodded his head.  


* * *

  
The weekend came, but it bore me. School was a distraction for me, but now that the weekend was here, I was bored and thought about L and the others often. Now that I couldn't see them, I was more worried. Something kept nudging me in the back of the head, an uneasy feeling. I wanted to see them, just to check on them, but I needed to obey L's order and stay away until it was safe.

I cleaned my room in order to give me something to do. I even called Misa to see what she had planned, but she was visiting her father out of town and wouldn't be back until Monday. I called up a few more girls from school that I knew liked me, and managed to snag one girl from my class last year. I decided to take her out to see a movie, the classical date.

"I was a little surprised when you called me out of the blue," she said. Her name was Kiyomi Takada. She was a pretty girl with short dark hair in a bob and a pretty smile. She was conservative and polite, one of the reasons I liked her above some of the others.

"I've been very busy because of school," I answered, smiling to her, "Only now have I managed to get some free time or I would have called you sooner. You still enjoy documentaries, right?"

Takada smiled, but she stared down at her shoes. "Aren't you and Amane-san a couple, though? I always see you two together."

"We're just friends. I walked her to school when she first moved here," I said, placing my hand on the small of her back and led her onto the train we were taking.

"I don't want her to be jealous."

"Misa understands that she is only my friend."

Takada gave me a look as if she didn't believe me. Did I know Misa had a crush on me? Yes. I've known since we first met. Did I feel like the same for here? No. I didn't feel any sort of connection with her the way she did for me. And Takada? Sadly, it was the same with her. Ever since I was little, I had girls crawl all over me. I manipulated them by reading their thoughts and I usually got nothing but babble and nonsense. I could always tell when a girl liked me by hearing it in their heads before. I was beginning to believe that I would never feel that bubbly feeling that girls seemed to feel. I had almost given up hope on finding "the one".

Then I met L. I wasn't sure why I was attracted to him, whether it was because I couldn't get inside his head, his mysteriousness, or just the fact that he introduced me to all of this. I missed him. I want to see him again.

_'He may be a liar,'_ I heard inside Takada's head, _'but he's pretty. As if he's not banging that Misa-bitch.'_

I refrained from rolling my eyes. It amazed me how girls could simultaneously be friends and stab them in the back. L wouldn't do that. Even though I hadn't known him that long, I felt I could trust him. Him, Near, Mello, and Matt. I could be myself around them.

I sighed, my shoulders lifting and dropping. Takada was oblivious. I brought her along so I wouldn't have to think about them. It seemed my plan was failing.

"Light-kun, this is our stop," Takada said. I followed her out of the station and downtown.

The route we were taking would lead us past the P.I.S. building. I wasn't doing it on purpose, really. It was the only way to get to the theatre. Besides, I was just a simple passerby on a date. Nothing suspicious.

"Light-kun, are you listening?"

"Hm?" I looked to her. Obviously she had either told me something or asked a question that needed my attention. It was impolite not to listen, however, I had the ace of hearing her repeat the question again in her head.

"Hideki Ryuuga is a good actor, but when he plays the main character, he doesn't play the role. Like when he played Kazuki Takeo in The Bandit. He didn't portray the character's sarcastic bitterness well enough. However, when he played the co-star in Kingdom Come Down, he was excellent in his character Mao. I just hope in this movie he will be as good in Kingdom Come Down than he was in The Bandit."

I saw Takada's eyes lit up. "Oh my god! That's exactly what I was thinking!"

_'I know.'_ I laughed with her.

I realized that we were coming up on the headquarters. I was only going to glance on it, not stare or anything. While I half-listened to Takada's story about how Hideki Ryuuga was overrated since he quit singing and started acting, I slightly turned my head to see the glass doors with the painted eyeball. However, I stopped dead in my tracks and my mouth dropped open.

"Is something wrong, Light-kun?" I heard Takada say, but I didn't acknowledge her.

The eye was gone. So were the letters of the Paranormal Investigation Squad. Replacing it was a rent sign with a number to call. I couldn't help myself. I looked inside by pressing my face against the window. It was empty and dark inside. No furniture, no desk where Matt sat behind, no white table and magazines. Everything was gone.

"Light-kun, let's go," Takada said, pulling on my arm, but I stayed exactly where I was.

They left me. Those bastards. That bastard. They all left without a word. It hurt me. It hurt me much more than I thought I could be hurt. He didn't care about me at all. I was nothing to him. I wasn't even worth a goodbye to him.

"Light-kun," Takada said again, "What's wrong?"

My chest. It hurt so much. It almost felt as if I couldn't breathe. I was alone, even with Takada still clinging to my arm. Was this what a heartbreak felt like?

"I'm sorry, Kiyomi-san," I mumbled.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," I said again, "I'm gonna have to cut our date short. Something has come up?"

Her eyebrow wrinkled together in concern. "What? Now?"

"I'm very sorry," I said again, "I'll walk you home, but I can't do this right now. We'll have a rain check."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever."

I knew she was mad, but I couldn't care. I could only feel my own heart breaking.  


* * *

"I'm home," I mumbled under my breath when I walked through the front door. I didn't care to hear who might have heard my whispered welcome. I just wanted to crawl into bed and stay there. I felt emotionally exhausted.

I removed my shoes and trudged up the stairs to my bedroom. I didn't bother to turn on the light. I just walked inside, laid in bed, and pulled the covers over my head, still fully dressed. I felt my eyes water and a knot develop behind my sinuses. I couldn't believe it. I was crying.

I had been such a fool. L didn't love me.

* * *

_(A/N): Aww, poor Light. :( (I cannot believe how OOC I made him. XD)_


	10. Chapter 10

**P.I.S. Chapter Ten: Departure  
**  
"Onii-san," I heard Sayu say as she tapped her finger on my bedroom door that I locked, "Dinner's ready."

I didn't answer her.

"Onii-san? Are you okay?"

She tried to turn the knob but was unable to open the door. She decided to knock a little harder on my door this time.

"Onii-san," she whined, "C'mon, we gotta eat."

"Is everything okay?" I heard Mother say when she came up the stairs.

"He won't answer me," Sayu said with a huff.

Mom's knuckle tapped against the wood. "Light, honey? Is everything okay?"

Again, I just remained silent. My throat felt swollen and I was afraid that I would give my dilemma away if I replied. I just wanted to be alone and wallow in my self-pity for as long as possible. My chest felt empty and my stomach was twisting in hunger, but I didn't want to eat. I just wanted everyone to leave me alone, especially my nosey little sister.

"He's probably sleeping," I heard my mother say, "We'll just leave his food in the microwave so he can eat it later."

'Yes, do that. Just leave me alone.'

I heard their footsteps fade away down the stairs, and then I was left in the complete silence of my room. I watched the digital clock on my bedside change by the minute; I tried to count the seconds of every minute, but I was usually too fast or too slow. I talked to myself inside my head, telling myself that he wasn't worth all of this, but he was. No, I never told him how I felt because I was too afraid, but he should have at least told me he was leaving because that's what friends do.

'Perk up, Yagami,' I thought to myself, 'You're acting like a broken-heart school girl.'

I decided to listen to myself that time and reached over to turn on my bedside lamp. It took me a minute, but I finally managed to throw the covers off and pull on a pair of pants. That wasn't so hard. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw how unruly my hair was. It reminded me of L's crow black hair. I was tempted to crawl back into bed at the mere idiom of bedhead as a reminder of him, but I tossed that aside and combed my hair down.

"Looking good," I said to myself. After rubbing the sleep and dry tears from my eyes, I felt I looked presentable enough to go enjoy dinner with my family.

I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. My sister's and my mother's head turned toward me.

"So you finally decided to wake up," Mom said with a warm smile.

I returned it. "Sorry about that. I guess I'm putting in too many hours at school."

I pulled a chair out and sat down. Sayu passed me the fried fish, and I began to make my plate. The front door opened and in walked my father, but followed behind him was another man, a seemingly important man. He wore a black trench coat and a wide-rimmed hat. I couldn't see what he looked like underneath, nor did I understand why he was covering himself up so much when it was quite warm outside. My first impression of him was 'intelligent agent', as no doubt Dad had worked with some before.

"Honey," Dad said, pulling Mom aside who looked surprised to see the visitor as well as I, "This is Watari. Could you come out here for a minute?"

Sachiko nodded her head dumbly and followed Watari into the dining room. I watched her go with interest, however, I was quite surprised when my father motioned me over. I stood up and walked over to him, my eyebrows knitted together. Before I left I distinctly heard Sayu pout about her having to be left out.

Soichirou leaned forward and muttered into my ear, "They would like for you to join them, too."

"Me?" I asked, blinking in surprise.

"They heard about you helping me with a few cases," he answered, "I think their interested in what you have to say. Come on."

I followed him into the dining room, and the door shut behind us. Now I saw Watari without that large overcoat and hat. He was much different from what I expected; a Caucasian male in his late fifties, early sixties with a full head of white hair. His eyes were a pale blue, and he had the persona of an able-bodied senior. I might have been right in suspecting him as an intelligence agent by the way he presented himself.

Watari bowed, "It is nice to meet you all. My name is Watari, and I work for the International Police."

"Interpol?" I asked. Bingo.

He nodded. "Yes, the International Criminal Police Organization. I am here because for a short period of time, we would like to relocate your family."

"Relocate?" Sachiko repeated, aghast.

"Only for a short period of time," Watari assured her, "Two or three weeks."

"Why do we need to relocate?" I asked.

This time it was my father that answered. "I received a threat from the Yakuza for putting away their main hit-man."

My mother let out a gasp and covered her mouth. Her eyes were round. "The Yakuza?"

My eyebrows knitted, "So how would relocating help? Do you think the threat is serious?"

Watari clapped his hands together. He wore white cloth gloves. "Until we prove that it is all talk, we would like for your family to go on vacation for a little while. With protection of course."

"I have already told the force I was taking some time off," Soichirou said, "I have built up enough sick days to have about two weeks of vacation time. Think of it as vacation."

"More than likely, this is a fluke," Watari said, "However, we would like for everyone in this family to be safe just in case."

This worried me. Something didn't feel right. I couldn't read Watari's thoughts. It was the same way with L, but instead of getting no feedback at all like in L's head, I got only what sounded like static. I concentrated, digging deeper into his head. That wasn't static…it was humming? Why was Watari humming inside his head? Unless…

Watari knew about my mind-reading. And if he knew about that, then he must work for the Company L told me about, and from what I remember from my conversation with Mello, no one was higher up than L, which meant...

Watari must work under L or for L.

"What about school?" my mother asked, worried still etched on her face. "Light and Sayu are approaching their last weeks of school. Exams are coming up, are they not?"

"We will work something out," Father said.

"When will we be departing?" I piped up.

Watari's blue eyes looked to mine. "The day after tomorrow," he said.

I nodded. "I'll ask to take my exam early, either tomorrow or the day after. I'll get to school early. And Sayu only has two exams to take and they're in subjects she's really good in."

"I don't know about this," Mom said, chewing on her button lip.

"Mom," I said, placing my hand on her arm and giving her my famous heart melting smile, "Everything is going to be okay. Didn't you say to Dad that you wanted a vacation."

She blinked at me, probably because she didn't remember actually telling me that, but she didn't bring that up. "Yes," she said, her voice small, "But I didn't want it like this. I'm going to be worried the entire time."

"Sachiko," Dad said, placing both his hands on her shoulders, "I told you this because we're supposed to trust each other. Would you be more upset with me if I didn't tell you?"

Mother looked like she was being pulled by both sides. Her eyebrows wrinkled so badly that I wouldn't be surprised if it became permanent. "Still, honey, how do we know it will help? How will we know that you're still safe when we get back?"

"We will go through all regulations to stop all threats," Watari said, "I have been working with Interpol for over thirty years. Out of all those years, not a single person has been harmed in any way while under our care."

"Our?" Both Mom and I asked.

He nodded, smiling. "Yes, there are more people within our organization." He removed his white gloves and put them in his coat pocket.

"And what is your organization?" I asked, "Witness Protection?"

He chuckled. "Very similar in protection, but we don't change your identity unless as a last resort. Witness Protection Program has destroyed people financially for changing their identities."

Again, I attempted to read his thoughts, but I was blocked out by the humming. How could he be so skilled to block me out of his head and talk with my father and mother without faltering in any way? Who was this guy exactly?

"Okay," Mother said. I turned my attention back to her. She had her hands up in defeat. "Okay, we'll go. We'll trust you. Light, you and Sayu ask your teachers if you can take your exams early or after we get back. Don't let your sister know about any of this. She's just supposed to know that we're going on vacation."

I nodded my head. Mother shook her head.

"I think I'll make myself a drink." She turned around and left.

Watari bowed. "I must be going now. Thank you, Yagami-san, Light-kun. It was nice meeting you."

I stuck my hand out for him to shake, like I knew Caucasians did. He shook it. His handshake was warm and firm. There was more than one way for me to get inside someones head. If I couldn't get in by my usual methods, one that not even L knew; I could use physical contact. As soon as his skin touched mine, I was in. My questions were immediately answered when I saw L's face, his mouth moving as he spoke in a language I couldn't understand and could barely hear. My name came up. It only lasted for a second before Watari pulled his hand away. I was pulled out of my reverie.

"I will call you tomorrow with the plans of departure," Watari said, pulling his coat on.

Dad showed him to the door as I made my way back to the table. Sayu immediately asked me what happened, but I only told her that it was about us taking a vacation. I also told her that they only brought me in to discuss our school work. She was more excited about missing school that she didn't bother asking why it was out of the blue. She did ask where we were going. I shrugged and told her wherever Dad decided. Sayu spent the rest of the night trying to convince Dad to let them go to France.

As I laid in the bath, I couldn't help but think about L. I knew I was going to see him again, and I couldn't wait. I wanted to let him know just how I felt about his sudden departure.  


* * *

  
I discussed my situation with my teachers, telling a few lies and flashing them charming smiles, but I managed to take all of my exams during lunch and after school. My sister wasn't having the same luck, so I went over to her school. I flirted with her English teacher to get her out of getting a zero for the exam. By the end of it, Sayu had been completely excused, and Tokima-sensei was fanning herself with a notebook.

We spent the rest of the day packing our clothes, and it Sayu's case, calling all our friends to push in their faces that we were missing school to go on vacation. I stuffed two suit cases with clothes and an overnight bag. My sister seemed to have packed her entire room.

"Why do you have to bring 'that'?" I asked, nodding my head to a poster she was taking off her wall.

"I can't sleep without my Hideki Ryuuga," she said, kissing the pretty man's picture on the lips. My face twisted in disgust. She looked at it dreamily. "Some day I'm gonna be Mrs. Hideki Ryuuga."

I shook my head. "No, no you're not."

She glared at me. "What do you know?"

"I know that it is illegal to date you right now, and by the time you are legal, he will most likely be married."

"He'll divorce his wife when he meets me."

"Riiiiight."

She gave me an annoyed look, one that matched Mom's perfectly. "Are you done packing?"

"Yes," I said, "That's why I'm here, checking on you."

She huffed, "Well, can you leave so I can get some work done?"

"You'd get more done if you stopped staring at the poster with googly eyes." I turned around but I still saw her stick her tongue out at me.

I took my bags downstairs to the living room where my parents bags were. We still didn't know where our destination was, but Watari had called Dad and told him that his plane tickets were ready. We would leave at six in the morning to the airport. I was told to bring my headphones, which meant it was going to a few hours.  


* * *

  
We took a taxi to the airport in Tokyo. Our tickets were waiting for us, but we didn't actually expect it to be in a private jet. Sayu flipped and screamed that high pitch squeal that all girls did to show they were surprised or excited. Didn't Watari say that this was going to be the same as a normal vacation? What family used a private jet?! Donald Trump?!

The flight was indeed for hours. Soichirou and Sachiko both slept with their heads on each other's shoulders. Sayu fell asleep with her headphones in her ears. I was in my seat, watching The Last Samurai on my laptop for the third time. I looked at my watch, but it wasn't working. I tapped the face, but that did nothing.

"Great," I muttered. I looked at the clock on my laptop. It was an hour behind because I forgot to change it for Day Light's Savings months ago. We had been on this flight for more than ten hours. We were definitely out of Japan. I was fluent in English and some French, so if I needed to, I would translate for my family.

I must have fallen asleep because I was being shaken awake by my father. We had arrived at our destination, whatever that was. We took our carry-on luggage out with us as we departed the plane. When we left our gate, we were welcomed by Watari. He smiled warmly at us.

"It's nice to see you all," he said, his blue eyes twinkling, "Welcome to New Zealand."


	11. Chapter 11

**P.I.S. Chapter Eleven: Reunited**

Tonya did not like this situation at all. The air in this little apartment seemed as if it were polluted with pure evil, and with this person in her home, it was. She stood clear across from him, hardly making eye contact as she knew what his 'eyes' were capable of. She wanted to run away, but not until Simon and Vanya show up. They would be there soon, but each second felt like an eternity where she was the prisoner of her own home. Her lungs felt icy, and her skin seemed to shrink down into her bones. When she answered the door that morning, she immediately felt her life drain of her years quickly. When she looked into Beyond Birthday's red, gleaming eyes and his tiny smile, her first thoughts were 'I'm going to die'.

But he did not harm her. Just invited himself in, asked where her shower was, and proceeded from there. Tonya's heart had still not stopped racing. The thought of such an awful man in her home made her want to turn around and leave forever; her home, her possessions, and this country. Yet, her feet did not carry her far. For now, she was watching this mass murderer with powers only Beelzebub could give. He sat at her vanity, acting like it was his own furniture and this was his own house, as he proceeded to cut his damp hair with a razor blade. The last she saw him, his jet black hair was passed his shoulders; now it was short and barely tickling the edge his neck and it was messy. He would take strands of hair in his bony little fingers and cock his head to the side, then the other, measuring and seeing what it looked like. It suddenly occurred to her that he wasn't trying to get his style back. Oh no, he was trying to copy some others style from memory.

But who?

The sound of her door suddenly opening made her heart jump along with her feet. Beyond did not even start, just kept measuring each strand of hair, sometimes cutting it with the razor. Entered Vanya and Simon. Though Simon was actually American, he came from Japanese decent, so he could walk around openly without being looked at like a tourist, unlike the rest of them. He was thin and geeky looking with his shirt always tucked into his jeans and the cat-eyed framed glasses he wore. They had worked with Beyond years before he was incarcerated. They felt almost comfortable around him, more than she could say, but there was still that air of caution and uncertainty.

"It's good to see you again," Simon said, nodding in the murderer's direction, "Beyond, sir."

That wicked smile that always made Tonya's heart race stirred up again when she saw it reflected in her mirror at them. His teeth somehow were still white as bone, even though he had not brushed his teeth in who knew how long.

"It's been a while, Simon," Beyond replied, his voice haunted like a cursed mummy. He rose himself from his chair. Though he was not the tallest, he may as well have been by the way the three of them shirked slightly when he stood before them. "Where isAlanis?"

"She is no longer vith us," Vanya answered. He smiled widely, showing off his protruding front teeth. Tonya looked at him, but did not say anything; she was not informed that there was a former woman on the team...What had happened to her?

Beyond ran his fingers through his hair, snagging a tangle. "Too bad," he said, still smiling that wicked grin, "Any other news?"

"The headquarters that we assumed L and the others resided has been completely cleaned out," Simon said, sitting on her bed, "They must have moved before we located them. We don't know where they are now."

And then Beyond laughed. It was strangely human and light, but it was still enough to make the hair on her arm stand on end. "What did you expect? L is far from stupid. He doesn't confront the bad guys unless needed be. And now, he has three tykes to take care of. It will be nearly impossible to find out where they are." His feet took him to her refrigerator, where he removed a jar of strawberry jam without asking for permission. He twisted the cap off and stuck his finger in it. The gooey liquid almost dripped on the floor if he hadn't caught it with his tongue. He happily sucked off the jelly from his finger until it was clean. His lips were smeared with jam as he delved in the condiment again.

"However," he spoke, smacking his lips, "I do have an idea to get under his skin, and a way to drag him out in the open." His cheeks were now smeared with the goo. It grimly resembled...blood.

Tonya had lots of questions: Who exactly was L? Why was he so important? Because he was the one who put BB away? And one question that plagued her mind, but also chilled her to the bone: What exactly wasBB's ability to cause something so horrific like the incidents at the House? She wanted to know, but she also hoped she would never find out. One thing she knew though, if she did make it through this alive, she would be dead inside soon enough.  


* * *

  
Sayu was the only one that acted excited about being in New Zealand. The rest of us just stood there with our jaws open.

"Oh thank you, Daddy! Thank you!" Sayu stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek, oblivious that he was also surprised by the destination. I was thinking that we would be in America, but I didn't even consider New Zealand as an option. We followed Watari out into the parking lot where a limousine was waiting for us, the driver smoking a cigarette. He put it out when he saw us. The air smelled of sunshine and sea water. The air was crispier and cleaner than the ones in Tokyo. It seemed to make us more relaxed and content. Mom and Sayu discussed shopping. Then they said they would drag me along as their translator. I rolled my eyes.

We were in Wellington, New Zealand, its capitol. We all stared out the window in awe, at the locals and fellow tourists. The green palm trees. The sky scrapers.

"It says that there are two islands," Soichirou said, reading from the booklet found in the limo, "Called...well, there are two islands. They filmed two movies here: Lord of the Rings, and The Last Samurai."

"The last Samurai?" Sayu repeated with glee, "I love that movie!"

The limousine slowed to a stop. All of our noses were pressed against the window to see what our destination was. the limo had stopped outside what must have been a four or five star hotel. I counted fifteen floors before the glare of the sun blinded me. My sister was speechless for the first time in our trip.

The driver opened the door for us, and we all climbed out with out necks at an odd angle, looking at the largest hotel suite we had ever been invited to. The place seemed to stink of money and wealth. It was much different than L's Paranormal Investigation headquarters back in Tokyo. Dad pointed out the sign that read "The Bolton Hotel Wellington". With lead feet, we followed Watari inside. He did not approach the front desk, but instead went straight to the elevator. We followed him. They played classical music while we rode up the levels. I watched the bulbs of each floor light up as we passed each floor.

"Your rooms are on the top floor," Watari said, "One for the husband and wife, and one for the kids."

"Wow!" Sayu said breathlessly.

The elevator doors opened and we followed Watari down the hallway until we reached the end. He then turned around. "These are your rooms," he said, waving his hand to the two doors on either side of each other, "The one on the right is for the parents, and the one on the left is for the kids. Here are your keys." He handed them out to us, and father and I both took them. "The couple's room is also a honeymoon suite," he added with a wink.

My mother's cheeks blushed as she pressed her hand over her mouth to hide her schoolgirl grin. Sayu became impatient and grabbed the key from my hand and opened the door. I followed her inside. Her eyes lit up when she saw the room, as did mine. We were both left speechless. The hotel room felt more like an apartment. There were two queen sized beds for each of us. We went separately to see what else the room contained. There was a table with two chairs, a washer and dryer, a full kitchen with a stove and refrigerator, and full bathroom with a separate shower.

"Onii-san, come see the view!" my little sister called out to me from the balcony. I walked out there and sucked in a deep breath of clean air. The view was amazing. Unlike Tokyo, we could see a clear view of the park. There was more green here than Tokyo.

"Isn't it beautiful, Onii-san?" Sayu said, leaning over the railing for better view. I nodded in agreement and out of habit, stuffed my hand into my pocket.

"Hm?" I pulled it out to see I was holding a piece of paper. I unfolded it to see that it read 'Cafe Brioche'.

"What's that Onii-san?"

"Uh, nothing. Just an old note I forgot was in there." I was well aware that my pockets were empty earlier, which told me that Watari must have snuck it in my pocket for me to go to this cafe. Surely he didn't expect me to go out looking for this cafe when we just arrived so it must be a cafe here at the hotel. And since no time was written, it must mean that I was expected there any minute. I left my sister to sight see while I walked back into the room. I picked up the pamphlet to see the list of restaurants and tour sites to see that I was correct and the Cafe Brioche was in the lobby.

The door opened and my parents walked inside. "Wow," Sachiko said, "Your room is just as nice as ours. You even have an extra bed."

I walked past them and opened the door. "Where are you going, Light?" Father asked me.

"To look around," I answered.

"Take your sister with you."

I stopped with my hand on the door. Sayu? But if I took Sayu, how would I meet the people at the cafe without her being with me. I turned my head to see that she was eagerly waiting for me to lead her on a tour of the hotel. I would have to come up with a way to lose her without looking suspicious.

"All right," I said, smiling at them both, "C'mon Sayu. Let's go see what's around here."

My sister followed me out into the hall and down the elevators down to the lobby. I was formulating a plan to get rid of her without her suspecting anything, but I found that there really was no need as she was plotting to rid of me.

_'I'll tell him that I'm going to the girls' room, then I'll ditch him. No, better idea. I'll tell him I'm old enough to do things on my own. He should understand that.'_ She seemed to have made up her mind as she turned to face me.

"Onii-san..." she began.

"I'll give you five dollars to spend on whatever you want if you leave me alone for about two hours."

Her eyes blinked in surprise. "Deal," she said with a smile. I opened my wallet and took out the colourful New Zealand bills that father and I traded in at the airport currency trade area and handed them to her. (Note: NZ$ 5.00 = US$ 4.50) When the doors opened to the lobby, we went our separate directions.

I located the Cafe Brioche and glanced around. I could not see L, Mello, Near, or Matt among any of the patrons gathered there. I was approached by the hostess who had beautiful blond hair and green eyes.

"By yourself today?" she asked me, smiling brightly.

"Yes, I'm..." My voice trailed off in perturbation. In my sudden excitement about seeing L and the others, I did not know what names to call them, nor did the note Watari left me give me any hint. I could not ask her if there was anyone by the name of 'L, Near, or Mello'. But Matt might be good enough. "I'm looking for someone named Matt," I answered.

Her eyes traced down the list. "No...I don't see a Matt here."

I bit my lip in frustration. How did they expect me to find them if I didn't know what name they went under? Perhaps I should just turn around and look for Sayu.

"Hey there buddy!" A hand clapped over my shoulder. I turned my head and my eyes nearly bugged out when I saw it was L. He smiled at me as if we had only been away from each other for a few minutes, "We've been looking all over for you.C'mon man."

I wiped away my surprise and smiled at him and followed him to a table the furthest away in the room. I saw Matt seated at the table, but the invisible man and the clairvoyant seemed to be absent. L sat next to Matt and I took the seat opposite of them.

"Long time, no see," I muttered bitterly while picking up one of the menus to scan.

"I apologise for our abrupt leaving," L said, rearranging himself so he was sitting with his knees drawn to his chest, "However, it could not be avoided. We had to leave immediately."

I looked up from the menu in my hands and frowned at him. "Why?"

"We 'll discuss more about it when everyone is here. In the meantime, order yourself something to eat, Light-kun."

I read over the menu, but I couldn't choose anything to eat so I simply ordered a coffee to drink. I asked Matt what their reason for the sudden departure was, but he simply shrugged as if he did not know either. I looked at my watch and saw that it had been nearly ten minutes. Using my powers on L was useless since I never got any feedback, but Matt could lead me to answers that L seemed to enjoy holding just out of my reach. I sipped on my coffee and kept my eyes on the table while directing my powers of telepathy toward the redhead with goggles. I usually visualise my powers as thread. Every head, every brain, had a mess of thoughts that resembled little silk threads. The more I pulled at a thread, the more it lead me to my answers. I found Matt's thread and I pulled...

_ "L says we need to leave," Mello said._

"Why? What's going on?" Matt/Light asked.

"Dunno," he said, shrugging, "But he said that we need to clean this place out and leave today.

"Today?" Matt/Light sighed, "Damn, couldn't he give us a little more time?"

"Something's going on." Mello's brow wrinkled with seriousness. "And Near is acting strange, too."

"Near?"

Mello nodded his head. "He had a nightmare last night. I think he may have had a premonition about something pretty bad."

"And he didn't tell you about it?" Matt/Light scratched his cheek. "Did he tell L?"

Mello's brown eyes shifted downward. His chocolate eyes glazed with disappointment and he shook his head. "No, he didn't say anything. L was the one that woke him up, too." He straightened up and patted the desk where Matt/Light was currently seated behind. "Anyway, we need to hurry and pack. We'll be leaving tonight."

"Where are we going?"

"New Zealand."

"Ah, here is our guest," L announced. I pulled myself out of Matt's head and looked up to see who our guests would be. Walking toward us was Mello, large overcoat swaying behind his feet, Near shuffling along beside him, and lastly...

Soichirou Yagami.

When my eyes laid on my father, they instantly grew twice in size. I blinked to make sure it was him and it was concluded. We met eyes and I saw his round just like mine.

I slowly stood up from my seat. "Dad?"

"Light? What are you doing here?"

"That's my line."

L clapped his hands together. "Yagami-san, please sit down, we have much to discuss."

We rearranged our seating so we were all seated together with me crushed against the wall, Near beside me, and Dad beside him. Across from us sat Matt against the wall, L looking uncomfortable sitting in the middle, and Mello at the end.

"Okay, what's going on here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes down on L, who slurped his tea loudly.

"Can I get you anything, Yagami-san?" L asked, ignoring my question.

"Um, no thanks." Soichirou cracked his knuckles. "But I am also wondering what is going on and why you called me all the way to New Zealand, L."

I stared at my father over Near's white head. He knew who L was?

"Then I shall get started," L said, "Yagami-san, are you aware that your son has the capability to hear the thoughts of others?"

My jaw dropped. I stared at L incredulously; how could he even have the audacity to tell my father such a thing? My flare of anger returned, and I remember why I was angry at L in the first place; not just for deserting me, but because he didn't even seem to care what sort of detrimental consequences would result. He did things the way he saw fit, not caring who got the short end of the stick. It was all about L and his autonomous actions and his fat ego. I wanted to reach across the table and slap the cavities out of his teeth, but I just simply stared at him, hoping that my seething rage would be enough.

However, my glaring at L did not last long because it was then my father replied: "Yes, I have been...aware of it for a while."

My head turned to look at him. "You...knew?"

His eyes met mine and he nodded slowly, a smile slightly tugging on his lips. "I knew you were special in some way, not like other children I mean. You knew exactly what needed to be done or how someone felt. Sometimes you would think that I said something out loud when I didn't."

I should have said something, but I couldn't. My mind was blank and I couldn't come up with any words to say. I looked down at Near and felt slightly sorry for him when I did. He was messing with his napkin. Him seated where he was must be awkward for him.

"Save for you and Matt here, we all have a different ability that would seem like a nonentity," said the pallid man, "Near is able to move objects at will with his mind and can also perceive events that will happen or have already happened; Mello can make his skin and any object he is touching become invisible; and I have the ability to create illusions that mistake for truth."

"Illusions?" I said aloud, "I thought your power was to hypnotise."

"Not entirely," he said, "I can give someone a false reality and they will perceive that false reality I have given them and believe it truly happened. It's all the tricking of the brain. You believe that you see. For example, Yagami-san, how is your coffee?"

Soichirou paused with his hand almost up to his lips and looked at L. "It's alright, I guess. Why?"

"Because you are not holding anything." Soichirou eyed the "cup" in his hand. "To make an example, I used my ability for you to think that a cup of coffee was in front of you. Your brain sees this as a reality. Though it does not really exist, your brain has supplied that it is hot and you blew on it. You can even taste something that is not there. I apologise for using you as a guinea pig in order to make my point across, but I was curious if you had the same immunity to my ability as your son does." His ghostly black eyes turned towards me. "Light-kun, you were unable to see the coffee your father saw, were you?"

I shook my head, and turned to my father and looked at him from Near's other side. "For some reason our abilities cannot reach across to each other," I told him, "I cannot read his thoughts and he cannot trick me with illusions."

He nodded his head and looked back at his still raised hand and probably saw nothing because he placed his hand on the table palm down.

"Now down to business," said L, "Mello."

Mello reached inside his coat and pulled out a manila folder and laid it on the table.

"This is the real reason why we are here," L continued, "I work with an organisation that deals with the paranorm of reality. It does not have a name and is only known as 'The Company'. A few weeks ago, I sent my team and I to Japan to investigate a case where women were being found dead in different areas of theKanto and Tohoku regions. One of these women is Yorashime Takami . I believe she was also your case, Yagami-san?" He nodded his head. "Her cause of death is due to a Rogue. A Rogue is a parasitic being that looks exactly as another human. You would not be able to tell they are a Rogues if you just happened to pass by them. But they are not the real reason I have brought you here.

"During my time investigating the deaths caused by the Rogue, Mello came victim to identity theft." I rolled my eyes at L's dry humour. "A woman, whom we have yet to identify, with the ability toshape-shift disguised herself as Mello and entered into one of our most secure prisons for people like us, codename; The House. The most dangerous of criminals, killers, and villains with supernatural abilities are sent. Their powers are rendered useless by different nerve-paralysing drugs. However, recently, one of the House's most infamous criminals has escaped."

One of his long, spidery fingers flipped open the folder and flipped through a jumble of papers. "The one who escaped is a convict I myself caught and prosecuted, Beyond Birthday. There are no photos of him, however, I can say that he looks almost exactly as me."

Beside me, I saw Near's head jerk up and look at L. "He looks like you?" he asked. It was then I noticed across the table that Mello had been watching Near for some time.

L nodded. "Yes, but we have one distinct difference; our eyes. My eyes are black whereas his are red. Even our abilities are the exact same." He found what he was looking for and set down a photograph of a man, a guard by his uniform, lying on the ground with his eyes wide in fear. "He is also able to conjure up illusions, mostly using the most horrific images to trick the brain into thinking something is happening to him." He set down another photo of another man, this time with claw marks down his face that looked self inflicted. "If Yagami-san could taste, feel, and smell coffee that was not there, imagine what his brain would believe if he saw a bullet rip through his skull?

"He would die from nothing but a lie."

He lay more gruesome photos of death for us to see. I felt a chill run down my back; I had counted myself lucky that I was on the same side of justice as L as terrifying as his powers were. Now here was another L, Beyond Birthday, whose powers were mirrored to L's. My worst fear was being recognised.

"When I heard about Beyond's escape, I did research on his followers. There were three that I remember, one is a Rogue by the name of Vanya from Russia." He laid down a photograph of a man with flaming red hair and a face like that of a demon's. He smiled widely for his mugshot and I could see he had very pointy teeth. "Simon is a human with the ability to distort technology. Any machine can be turned on and off and used to his will without his physical assistance." The next photograph he laid down was a mugshot of an Asian boy. He wore small framed glasses and stared at the camera with no emotions. "His other follower goes by the name Alanis. It was with her help that I was able to capture Beyond and sentence him. Unfortunately, the result of doing this was catastrophic. She is now a resident of the Wakari Psychiatric Ward here in New Zealand."

The next photograph he set down was not a mugshot, but a normal photograph of a woman with fly-away black hair and green eyes leaning forward to blow-out the candles of a birthday cake with the words "Happy Birthday, Alanis" made from blue icing. She was quite pretty. I had to keep in mind that this woman once followed a mass murderer around before helping L arrest him.

"Beyond Birthday is the reason I have brought you all here," L said, "I estimate that in two weeks, with everyone's help, I will capture Beyond Birthday once again and deliver him the death penalty. Until then, Japan is not safe."

"Why is Japan not safe?" my father asked.

L's haunted black eyes lifted up to his. "Because he knows I am supposed to be in Japan."  


* * *

I followed L up to his hotel room, which was underneath my sister's and mine (and most likely was not a coincidence) and we both sat down on the love seat. His knees pressed to his chest like always. He had invited me up, but we did not talk. It was awkward between us.

"I talked to the agency," L said. I looked up at him, but he still looked forward with his thumb balanced on his lip, "They are interested in you. They want you to join."

I blinked at him. "Do you want me to join?"

He finally looked at me. "It's up to Light-kun. If you do join, then you will be away for a few months to test your abilities and train under their jurisdiction. Who knows when I'll see Light-kun again?"

I released a breathy snort. "You sound like you'll miss me."

"I will miss you. Light-kun is very special to me."

His words made my heart pound and my cheeks flare. How could he say something so embarrassing like that without any emotion coming over his face? He was just trying to rile me up. I frowned and shook my head. "You leave me, then drag me to another country, tell my father my biggest secret, and then drop a bomb on me about the most gruesome murderer, and you say something like that?"

He cocked his head as he stared at me. "Light-kun does not trust me?"

"For the past couple of days, I've been wanting to hit you."

"I cannot blame you. You have been put through a lot these past days. However, I immediately sent out Watari to bring you here to keep you and your family safe."

"I still want to hit you."

"How ironic," he said, "I also wish to do something to Light-kun."

I narrowed my eyes. "And what would that be?"

"I wish to kiss him."

*Thump, thump. Thump, thump*

My cheeks flared once again and my heart pounded loudly in my chest. Again, saying something so bold.

I scowled, but my blushing did not cease. I knew he did not mean what he said, and that's why I said, "If you want to, what's stopping you?"

He moved forward, but stopped. "Is Light-kun giving me permission?"

"Yes."

With one hand on the back of the couch, L leaned forward, slightly cocked his head, and pressed his lips to mine. My heart leapt in my throat. He kissed softly, but soon it deepened. Our breaths were hot on each other. I was pressed back to couch with L on top of me; I could even feel his heart beat against mine. My hands wrapped around his back and tugged his shirt. His tongue traced my lip and I welcomed it. He tasted sweet. He took control of the kiss and I gladly let him. It quickly escalated and kissing was not enough.

That night, after having a day of such emotional events, I released all my stress and tension in L, and he did not disappoint. I gave him my body and he handled it well. The thrills of pleasure lasted all night, and I did not worry about my sister or my mother or my father. I did not worry about Beyond Birthday or the others. For tonight, it was only L, myself, and the walls. But what really meant the most to me, aside from giving up my virginity to the man I was in-love with, was what he said.

"Stay with me."

"I will."

* * *

_(A/N): Aw, how sappy. XD Sorry for the late updating, guys. I'm getting ready for college so writing has been very difficult for me, but I haven't forgotten about this story, yet! 8D Nothing too explicit, because this doesn't have a mature rating. XD Yep, but L and Light got it on. *perverted laugh*_


	12. Chapter 12

**PIS Chapter Twelve: Profile of a Monster**

The bed felt much bigger than it was previously and my sleepy eyes opened to see that L's side was empty. I covered my mouth with my hand to yawn, then pulled the covers off and searched for my pants. After relocating and slipping them on, I searched and found him in the living room area of the room sitting in one of the arm chairs and fingers tapping wildly at the keyboard. I slightly bent forward to see his face and saw him wearing black rimmed glasses that reflected the computer screen and did not show his eyes.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," I said aloud.

He looked up at me startled and was quick to remove them and place them on the table. "Good morning, Light-kun. Would you like some coffee?"

"Later," I answered, "Did you sleep well?"

He typed on the keyboard. "I don't sleep well."

As I pulled up another arm chair next to him, I frowned at his answer. "Did I keep you up? I'm aware that I do have a habit of kicking in my sleep."

"Yes, you do. But that's not the reason. I have had difficulty sleeping for a very long time now."

"Really? How long?"

"About..." He counted the fingers on his left hand and then on some on his right hand, "...eight years."

"That's impossible," I said bluntly.

"More like improbable, but it can happen no doubt."

"No, it's impossible. You hallucinate after five days of no sleep and you'll be dead after eleven days. Without REM sleep, a normal person would never see the end of the month, let alone eight years."

"Ah, but Light-kun," he said, smiling cat-like at me, "I'm not a normal person. Yes, in a normal person it would cause hallucinations, but isn't true that I also cause hallucinations for other people? And I do get REM, but it is not in the form of sleep."

I was curious now. L had no reason to make such a blatant and ludicrous statement such as that, but I still had doubts about it being true. "Then how do you get REM sleep?" I asked, holding my knees and sat much like he was.

"Sometimes when I'm alone, I get in a heavy daze and that is how I get my REM."

"Then you're sleeping."

"On the contrary, I'm fully aware of what goes on around me. I know who is who and what people are saying. I can even give answers and ask questions; they're short, but I'm still communicating, nonetheless."

"So why haven't you been able to sleep for so long?"

One of his spidery, long fingers tapped the edge of the laptop as he thought. It took a long while for him to answer, in which I took the time to study his face and wished that I could get inside that mysterious head of his.

"I..." he finally said, "haven't always been a good guy. I didn't care much about others."

I wasn't sure if this answered my question, but I decided not to press; it seemed like a subject that was not easy for L to discuss. However, it made me curious to know what L was like previously. Was he really as cold hearted as he seemed to sound, or was it just guilt for something he regretted in his past. Again, I wished to get inside that head of his, but when I tried, it was like looking into the bottom of a cave and not able to see anything. In the usual cases, it meant death that could have been seen as prevented. It made me wonder...did L lose a loved one or a previous lover and blamed himself?

"Don't think too hard about it, Light-kun," he said, smiling in my direction, "You'll give yourself an aneurysm trying to see what I'm thinking."

"And I thought I was the only one who could read minds."

His laugh was throaty, showing that he didn't laugh too often. This made my grin widen and I leaned in and touched my lips against his smile.

BAM! The door was busted open and we broke apart instantly to see what the racket was.

"We're coming in," called in Mello as he carried in what looked like a projector, "Trousers up, erections down." Matt laughed loudly and Near rolled his eyes. "You're dad is coming up," he said to me, "I already told him that you spent the night with L after having an 'important' discussion with him." He winked at me and I punched him in the arm.

I left to put on a shirt and some better pants, and when I returned, Mello had the projector set up and my father was seated on the couch. He acknowledged me by nodding his head in my direction.

"What about Mom and Sayu?" I asked as I sat in the arm chair again.

"I told them that you and I were going to an all-male spa."

"Did she believe you?"

"No, but she took my wallet and took your sister shopping."

"Ah."

L came from the other room wearing his usual t-shirt and jeans. He took a seat in his usual perch-like arrangement and took the remote in hand. Mello pinned a white sheet against the wall, then he strolled over to the opposite wall and turned off the light. When the projector turned on, the white sheet was bathed in blue.

"Let's get started," he said. He clicked the remote and the white sheet went dark. "I usually have a more advanced setup, but because of our relocation, I will have to start from the basic fabric." The screen came on again, this time with what looked like a picture of L with a black bar over his eyes. "This is Beyond Birthday. I had to block off his eyes because of complaints from people complaining about nightmares where his eyes were present. However, thanks toPhotoshop, I am able to give you a look into what he looks like."

He brought up a window and dragged over a manipulated set of eyes and placed them over the black bar. The pupils were black like everyone else, but there was a blandness to them. The iris on the other hand was bloody red, almost like a tear was created in the iris and it was stained. It was something that only I could visualize in a Halloween horror flick. But evenphotoshopped, it still gave me chills.

"It is unclear of whether or not this is his natural eye color," L continued, "Though our abilities are subjectively the same as they are the same technique and cancellation, but I digress to say that his eyes are stronger than mine. It is reported that he is able to manipulate the vision of reality to someone for long periods of time, going on to days and weeks if long enough. And unlike myself, he suffers no long-lasting side effect of his powers, meaning that he abuses his power beyond his limit. He is a thrill-seeker, fueled by the fear he causes in his victims. He is sadists, but only mentally, thus the reason why his victims are only found with self-harms or heart attack, often caused by fear.

"His powers do not give him the ability to see what the person has a phobia of, but he has come very close. If he already has previous knowledge, he will create an illusion of your worst fear. Unfortunately, even if he does not know what entices fear into you, he has an exceptionally good imagination. Though he is a serial killer, he often does not stick around to watch his victims die."

L clicked the remote and a cat-scan of a brain showed up where the frontal lobe was significantly darker than the rest. "Eight years ago, I arrested and sentenced Beyond Birthday. This is the brain of his last victim, a woman whose identity is to remain hidden but has been given the alias of "BackyardBottomslash ". The alias of his victims are determined by their location the body is found and cause of death determined by The Company's medical examiner. As you can see in her brain, her entire frontal lobe is collapsed and damaged due to hemorrhaging. She was discovered in her backyard in Los Angeles, California." The slide moved again to a woman lying face down in a grassy area with her face blocked out. I assumed this was BackyardBottomslash in person. "Unlike his other victims, Backyard was clinically blind and refused to wear glasses; which we believe BB was unaware of."

"Are you suggesting that because of her bad eyesight, Ms...Backyard was able to survive from his mental assault?" Soichirou asked, pausing in his note-taking with his pen still pressed to the pad.

"It is a theory, but it has not been fully determined," he answered him, "We do know that in order for the effect of the Eyes to take hold of you, you must make eye contact. It could be that was unable to make direct eye contact, or it could be that the effect did not work because she could not focus on his eyes. It cannot be fully determined."

"And how are we supposed to go up against such a formidable man?"

L stared at him in a way that almost made it like he was staring though my father's head; which he couldn't, right? "We will do everything in our powers to stop him," L answered, "But when I say 'we' that does not include you, Mr. Yagami."

"Then what am I doing here?" Soichirou asked testily.

"You are here to protect your son, daughter, and wife. How do you think you will be able to go against a full-fledged monster such as Beyond when you do not even carry a gun? I had your family relocated for the time being because it is unclear of whether or not he knows about your son, Light." I glanced at my father and saw that his jaw was tensed, but he swallowed when he heard my name. "Beyond likes to mentally torture his victims, but he also does this psychologically. You may be his victim, but he'll get under your skin by attacking your family first; he's done this before.

"The best you can do is enjoy your holiday here in New Zealand. Keep your wife thinking that the Yakuza is after you; keep your daughter believing this is a vacation. It's the best and safest decision you can do for them."

Soichirou Yagami rubbed his hands together. He shook his head and exhaled through his nose. It reminded me of the times he castigated me for disobeying him. I did not probe into his mind so as to obey his privacy, but I could tell that he was not liking what L was saying because we both knew what else was coming.

"And Light?" my father asked, "What about Light?"

"Light-kun has the decision to remain here with you, or he can take the case."

"Well, I'm letting you know right now that I don't--"

"Dad!" I interrupted him. He stopped his chastising and looked at me. "I'm taking the case."

The look he gave me said 'Are you mad?', and I stared back at him, giving him my answer. "Light, this man is very, very dangerous."

"I'm aware of that. The more reason why we have to stop him. I was going to become a cop anyway. My powers can help them tremendously. I can't just sit here and desist." I licked my lips. "I'm doing it."

I saw several emotions cross my father's face as he tried to think of a way, an excuse, for me to change my mind, but my stern look told him that my decision was cement. I was going to go after Beyond Birthday along with L, Mello, Matt, and Near. I saw the lines around his mouth deepen and he suddenly seemed to have age five years in just ten seconds.

"Fine," he said, not looking at me, "You are old enough to do what you feel you must do. There's nothing I can to stop you." He clapped his hands together, and I felt guilty; it was hard to let your son go against a monster you could not face. My father would rather die for me than allow me to get hurt, and I knew this.

And then my father looked back at L with stone eyes. "And how do I know you are not prevaricating? Are you hiding anything else from us?"

"There is something that I have been hiding," L said, scratching his knee through his jeans, "Something that not even Mello, Matt, or Near are aware of." The three mentioned boys perked up slightly. Near stopped twirling his hair.

"Beyond Birthday was my original proxy."

Everyone reacted.

"What the..." Mello trailed off while he stared at his boss incredulously.

Matt's jaw was open, matching my own expression. Near stared at L, but it was more intense, but none of us reacted as strongly as my father.

"That monster was you goddamn proxy?" he yelled. His swearing made me jump because my father had never swore in his life that I was aware of. A few 'damn's and 'hell's but that was it. "You're telling us that you taught this monster, personally?"

I admired L's cool demeanor. He seemed unperturbed by our reactions. "No, I never taught him personally. In fact, before I arrested him, I only met him three times prior and it was for a short period of time.

"In The Company, when one reached a certain level of authority, you have the choice to choose a subordinate or more to train under you, so if something were to happen to you, they will take over," he told us, "Because of my high position, I was asked several times to make a choice, but I refused. They finally decided they would choose one for me. They chose B. I didn't care either way, and I didn't really care of who he was." L stared directly at the picture of Beyond that had been brought back up. They did not blink. "The first time I met him, I felt something suspicious about him. He was an astute student with great grades, no trouble at all, but I felt something dark about him, so I did not get close.

"However, even with me ignoring him, Beyond continued to chase after me. An incident at the Academy took me back to him several months later. His entire demeanor changed drastically in those few short months. He changed his looks to copy mine, he changed his habits to imitate mine, he kept records of every case I did, had copies of every file or paper I wrote. His room, I saw, was a shrine to my entire life. He was becoming my zealot, but much worse. His favoritism of me was quickly becoming obsession. He put me and himself on a pedestal, believe that our powers omnipotent and that we were to be true rulers, him and I.

"I finally confronted him and told him that he was not going to be my proxy. He did not take it well. In that same year, his only friend committed suicide. Beyond Birthday left the Academy and was never seen again, until he was captured eight years ago."

As his voice died down, we were left in perturbation with everyone feeling uneasy and awkward. My own brain was reeling at what I just discovered, so I could not imagine what L's now current subordinates were thinking.

It became very clear, though, when Mello rose from his seat, took four quick strides to the door, and slammed it behind him hard enough to make the picture of flowers rattle and drop from where it was stuck to the wall's stucco. Matt sighed and cupped his cheeks with both hands. Near's blue eyes stared at the door before he removed himself from the couch and followed after the other male. None of us were sure what to say next.

Watari poked his head in the door. "L, Mello and Near look pretty upset. Should I go after them?"

"No," L answered, chewing on the nail of his index finger, "Let them be."

"Mello," Near called out. He disliked running, but Mello's long legs already had him at the elevator. He saw him push one of the buttons, probably to the lobby. Before the doors could close, Near stuck his hand in between them and pushed himself through.

"Near?" Mello said, surprised to see the albino boy.

"Why did you storm off like that?" Near asked him, "What exactly are you planning to do?"

"I'm planning to get away from L," Mello hissed through gritted teeth, "You heard him out there. B was his original proxy! Why didn't he tell us that? We've been with him for four years. Why did he not tell us this?"

"He didn't choose Beyond, Mello. He chose us."

Mello looked down at the white-all-over boy and grit his teeth. He turned his head to glare instead at the corner.

"Mello..." Near hesitated to take a step toward the blond as the elevator began descending, "There's something you're not telling me."

"It's nothing."

"Mello."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Near! I said it was nothing." Mello crossed his arms and leaned his back against the corner. Near did not press further. However, he did squint his eyes at the floor buttons and the elevator gave a jerk, making them stumble. Near even lost his balance and fell on his knees.

"What the hell was that for?" Mello asked, directing his question at Near because he knew it had to be him.

The younger boy pulled himself back on his feet. He looked up at the blond and was actually glaring at him. "You're being a spoiled brat, Mello. Are you just going to run off and sulk because L kept one secret from you? There's plenty we don't know about him, so why is this getting under your skin?"

"Because there's something I need to find out!"

"And what's that?"

Mello was enraged, Near could tell. His jaw was clenched and his face was getting red. Near did not even mind when Mello grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hoisted him up, toes dangling just above the floor.

"Because I need to know if he chose me or not!" Mello bellowed. Realizing what he was doing, he let go of his shirt, and Near dropped to the floor. "Tch. He said he never wanted subordinates, so why did he even choose me? The only thing I can do is become invisible. You have telekinesis and tracking. Even Matt has really good hacking skills, even though he's only a class B. Now Light is here with his ability to read minds; what the hell am I doing here?"

Near's thin eyebrows knitted together. "You're second in command. Do you honestly think that you would be where you are if there was no need for you?"

Mello sighed through his nose. "I've always felt it was because I was the oldest. Maybe that's the only reason I am."

"L chose you first, Mello. He knew what your powers were at Wammy's. He could have chosen anyone else there, but he, himself, chose you. There has to be a reason."

"That's what I need to find out. I have to go back to Tokyo and get my file."

"Your file? We don't have files, Mello." Near stared at Mello. A pregnant pause. "Mello...please tell me you don't have a file."

"I filled out a form at The Company."

Near frowned at him. "...." Then he looked down at his feet, realizing that he did not put on shoes and that he was wearing socks. "You're going to leave us, aren't you?"

"I was only considering. I haven't decided, yet."

"What exactly is on your file?"

"Just my resume. It doesn't have my true identity if that's what you're wondering."

"Will you be working with Halle?"

"...I don't know."

Near nodded, then squinted at the keypad again. The elevator began moving again. "I want to go with you," he stated.

"What?"

"Beyond Birthday's crew know our HQ was in Tokyo. They're going to be there. You need someone who can track them so as not to get caught." Near looked up at him, stared at him. "I can do that. They most likely have posts along Headquarters. You're gonna get killed if you just waltz in there."

Mello shook his head, but he was smiling. "All right. We'll do it your way."

Several hours passed and still no sign of Mello or Near. Matt called Mello's cellphone several times, but it was never answered. It wasn't until two in the morning that Watari came in to tell us of their location.

"They're on a flight to Japan," he informed us, "They went under the aliases of Ronald Castrevo and Martin Dunse."

"I see," L mumbled, putting down his cup of tea. "Now, what could they be doing in Japan?"

"Should we head back?" I asked.

"No," he answered, "Mello has a reason for going. He's not stupid, if a little impulsive. And Near is with him so he will keep Mello in check. If they do not return tomorrow, we will go after them."

L seemed calm, but I was not. I felt restless. Matt was snoring on the couch. L was drinking tea and working on his laptop. What could I do?

"Get some sleep, Light-kun," L said, as if he just answered my unasked question, "There's nothing more we can do now. Mello and Near have not even made it to Japan."

I doubted I would be able to sleep, but I nodded my head anyway and left. I tiptoed into my hotel room. Sayu had fallen asleep in the bed while Jay Leno told more jokes on his show. I changed my clothes and crawled into bed. Just as I had predicted, I did not sleep. Instead, I listened to the corny one-liners from Mr. Leno.

* * *

_(A/N): To view chapters up to fourteen, visit my deviantART page. My username is the same. :) Oh, and sorry for being so late. I had surgery to remove my appendix. _


	13. Chapter 13

**P.I.S. Chapter Thirteen: Unreal**

Bam! Bam! BAM! The wooden door flew off in splinters as Beyond's bare foot kicked it down. Dark, red eyes glanced around the dark room as his wicked smile played his lips. He stepped inside. It was cold from the lack of heating, and the electricity had no doubt been cut off, but he could still feel the presence of its previous owners wafting through the atmosphere. He sucked in deeply through his nose.

"Simon," he said to the glasses-wearing man behind him, "Let's get some lights on in here."

Simon placed his hand on the wall beside the door. The lights overhead flickered before bathing the room in a white glow. Now the headquarters of the Paranormal Investigation Squad was lighted enough for them to see everything. Beyond stepped into the center of the room. There was no furniture anymore except for the reception desk. Vanya peered over it. Absolutely nothing.

"Really Ellie?" Beyond said, lifting his arms up and shaking his head in disbelief, "Is this your new choice of rooming? An office building?" He spoke as if L were right there in the room. "Unbelievable. Your taste has changed for the worst since we last saw each other." He grinned widely, showing off his pristine canines.

"There's an upstairs," Vanya said, pointing up the staircase.

Beyond stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed the steps, counting each one in his head as he did so. Only nine. He liked that number. It was odd. Unlike the downstairs, the upstairs apartments were still furnished. The couch, the plasma television, and the chairs. Even the kitchen was stocked by what he saw from his quick glance. Like before, he stood in the center of the room and looked around.

But before he could criticize, a loud slamming took everyone's attention. All three men rushed down the hall. Of the three bedrooms, only one had the door closed. Vanya twisted the knob and it opened. Inside was a bed still neatly made and a dresser with toys still on top of it. Cat-like eyes glanced around the room.

"I don't see anyvone," Vanya said. He stepped inside and looked inside the closet. No clothes. Completely empty.

"Of course not," Beyond said from the hallway, "The slamming door was a diversion." He walked into the room on the other side of the hallway. Vanya and Simon followed suit. Like the other room, this one was completely neat with a made bed, a dresser, and an empty closet; the only difference was the open window.

Vanya rushed past Beyond to the window and looked down at the street below. The roads were glowing orange from the street lights. A car passed by. "They must haff jumped out," he stated.

"Again, Vanya, I become very aware of your amentia when you open your mouth."

The Rogue man blinked at his boss where Beyond was staring at him with a bored expression. "Vhat do you mean?" he asked, eyebrows wrinkling from the insult thrown at him.

"We're on the second floor," Beyond said, "If someone actually jumped out, they would be in pain. We would have heard a noise of some sort, a grunt or a bone breaking."

"They could have flown out," Simon inquired, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, "Then the open window could have caused the open door across the hall to slam shut. However, there is not enough wind outside to do such a thing."

"Exactly," Beyond said, smiling wickedly, "The door and the window were a diversion for the person to slip past us." His eyes darted around, smile still playing his lips, "But they haven't been able to escape, yet, have they? No..." He walked forward, one foot in front of the other and one hand outstretched to touch something he couldn't see. Closer he crept to the corner, hand still drawn out and fingers feeling the air.

His fingers hit the wall.

"Boss, I don't think there's no one here anymore," Simon said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "We probably scared them off."

Slowly, Beyond took back his hand and lowered it to his side, while his red eyes continued to hold fierce to the corner. "Yes," he said after a long pause, "There's probably no one here anymore." He turned on his heel and faced his cronies. "Well boys, what we want is obviously not here. Let's continue looking, shall we?"

Not waiting for an answer or reply, B quickly stepped past the two other men and promptly left the room as if it were giving off a bad odor. Simon and Vanya quickly followed after him, shutting the door behind them as they did so. There were voices and finally the sound of the front door slamming shut.

With a rippling effect, Mello and Near reappeared in the corner, just inches from where Beyond was touching; if he had moved his head just slightly over...

Though they were still visible, Mello did not remove his hand from Near's mouth nor his arm around his torso. Inches...they had escaped death by inches. He could feel how fixed Near was against his chest, and he knew the smaller boy could feel his heart beat pound against his back. The room still felt frigid from Beyond Birthday's presence. He truly was a frightening man, and he resembled L down to the very last strand of hair; how was he able to look exactly like him?

Slowly, Mello released his grip on the albino and took a steady step forward, glad that his legs were still strong enough to help him walk without stumbling. He tiptoed toward the door but was unable to help the squeaking of the floorboards underneath his heavy boots. Near stepped toward him to follow after him, but Mello waved him off, telling him to stay back without using words. Understanding, Near nodded and stepped back toward the window.

His leather gloves slowly twisted the doorknob and opened the door with a slight squeak. With another ripple, Mello's body blended into the surroundings once again. He poked his head outside to see if the trespassers were still around.

"I think we're safe," he said, becoming solid to the eye once again, "They're gone. We need to tell L immediately what happened."

"M-M-Mello..."

Upon hearing the foreign quiver in Near's voice, Mello spun around and felt his stomach and lungs drop out of his chest. He could not move and was left immobile as he saw what he most dreaded.

Near was standing with wide eyes, making him look completely helpless and a whole new person. If he had any color, he would have been even paler. Underneath his chin was a long blade of a butcher knife that gleamed in the light. Following the handle and the hand that gripped it, Mello's eyes widened as he traced up the arm and face of Beyond Birthday.

Thin lips curved into a psychotic smile as Mello and Beyond met gazes.

"Hello, hello," Beyond said with a hint of a British accent as a way to taunt.

The blond just stared, petrified at seeing Near being held at knife point by someone as Beyond Birthday. The window, Beyond must have jumped through the window. That was the only explanation.

"What's the matter?" Beyond asked, continuing to smile like a maniac, "Cat got your tongue?"

"Let him go," Mello demanded, narrowing his eyes while his heart continued to beat unsteadily.

Beyond's smile widened, showing off his canines. "I don't think so. However, I'm going to let you go scathe free. You just need to send a message to L for me."

"You don't know what I'm afraid of," Mello said, keeping his voice calm and steady.

"I don't need my powers to strike fear. I can tell you are afraid just by my presence." Beyond's long fingers cupped Near's face; the boy was visibly trembling. "Even in young Near here, whom was once so stoic and unemotional, is so clouded by fear that he is unable to use his own telekinesis to push me away. If he is unable to hold me back, what makes you think you can?"

Mello's fist gripped tighter.

"You may be the 'bad-ass' of your group, but when it comes right down to it, you're just in second place."

"Let. Him. Go," Mello hiss through gritted teeth.

Beyond looked amused. "Tell me, are you going to turn invisible and run away, or do something drastic and stupid as always?"

Mello pulled back his fist and ran at Beyond. His anger and rage was red hot, and he knew he was making a stupid mistake, but he had to act. Near opened his mouth to yell, but he was silenced by Beyond's hand. The killer lifted his foot and slammed it into Mello's chest. Air dispelled from his lungs and he fell back on the floor.

"You're not the one I want to kill," Beyond said, stepping forward and dragging Near with him, "So I'm leaving you with your life. You can thank me later."

Mello swallowed painfully, but lifted himself off the floor. "I'm not...going to let you...just take him!" Again, he charged with a punch aimed at Beyond. Beyond side-stepped and kicked Mello in the ribs, slamming him against the wall.

"Now you're just annoying me," he said, bitterly.

"Tch!" Mello glared up at him, and immediately wished he hadn't. Beyond's eyes were staring at him, and they looked much different from before. Like L's eyes, the red color of his irises seemed to have bled into the sclera, and his corneas were black. Ice draped over him, freezing his insides.

"I said I was not going to kill you," Beyond said, "But you've been annoying me for the last time."

Mello heard the sound of wood being scraped, and the wooden floorboard beneath him was starting to splinter in some places. Chewing through the floor, worm-like creatures a foot long with teeth began to crawl toward him. He crawled away but met the wall. They came towards him quicker until one latched onto his leg, piercing its circle of teeth through the vinyl of his pants and ripping at his skin.

"Ah!" he cried out. More worms attacked his legs. He saw blood begin to leak through his wounds. _'It's not real,'_ he kept telling himself, _'None of this is real. It's all an illusion.'_

But illusion or not, it was still painful. His brain was being manipulated. Blood was creating a puddle on the ground. He reached out and grabbed one of the worms that was attacking his thighs, but it twisted and attacked his wrist. Mello threw it across the room and threw another, but they came squirming back with speed.

He glared up at Beyond, gritting his teeth not to cry out in pain as the unreal monsters began to tear at his bare arms. "You're silly illusions aren't going to scare me," he hissed.

"Really? They seem to be doing a fine job now."

"Nng!" Near's head was pulled back by his hair and was forced to look into Beyond's demonic eyes.

"And as for you..."

Near's eyes dulled. His body grew limp and fell against Beyond, then he was thrown onto the psychopath's shoulder.

"Don't you dare!" Mello screamed, trying to rise on his knees but the leeches with teeth suddenly latched onto his neck. He pulled them away, but the blood kept flowing. It was warm and dribbled down his chest.

_'It's not real. It's not real. It's not real.'_

Carrying Near on his shoulder, Beyond left without a word, leaving Mello with his illusionary torture. The blond slammed his boot down on one of the leeches, but after being flattened, it just came after him once more.

"Dammit!" he cursed aloud. The worms, the bite marks, and the blood was not real, but his brain thought it was. At this rate, the worms would chew away his skin. He pushed the button on his belt buckle once.

Now all he could do was put up with this until help came. Hopefully, he would not go insane in the meantime.

* * *

  
I watched from my lawn chair as Sayu swam laps around the pool. Mom and Dad were arguing and did not want us, particularly Sayu, to hear. This was only our third day here, but Sachiko had enough and wanted to go home; we all did, but it wasn't safe right now.

I watched as one guy swam up behind my sister, cornering her into the pool's wall as he flirted with her. My brotherly instincts flared, and I almost dared to walk over there, but she seemed to have it under control.

"I do not speak-a vely gewd Engrish," she said very slowly to him.

It was a nice trick, if I do say so myself. Apparently this boy's turn-off was women who could not speak his own language because he waved her off and swam towards the other end. The truth was my sister spoke English quite well and fluent, as I was the one who tutored her.

My baby sister's young, fourteen-year-old body being ogled at by teenagers was not the only reason why I was accompanying her at the pool. I needed to level my head. Mello and Near did not return last night. Matt and L both tried to get in touch with them, but they were disconnected. I dug out my watch from the bundle of clothes and towels beside me. A little past one. I was getting worried. They should be in Japan by now. Why weren't they calling us?

"Onii-san."

Sayu's wet hair matted to her neck, face, and shoulders. Her pink swim suit was covered up by a towel, and she was shielding her eyes from the sun behind me.

"Why don't you swim with me?"

I smiled at her but shook my head. "No, I'm just going to sit here."

"I think some girls would like to see you get wet." Her eyes looked over to a group of girls sitting a few chairs down from me. They giggled when I looked over at them.

"I'm not in the mood to swim right now," I said, looking back at my sister.

She didn't comment to me. Instead she looked up at the hotel, blinking blindly in the sun. "You know what Mom and Dad are fighting about, don't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because when you know something and someone asks you about it, you answer in a question to avoid answering."

I pulled my legs up and she sat at the foot of my lawn chair. The shadow of the hotel allowed her to put her hands down. "Why are we here, Onii-san? There's no way Dad could afford all this."

My sister caught on things quickly. It seemed to run in the family. Yet, she was still 'the baby'. I was the one she went to for most answers because Mom and Dad thought it would be better for Sayu if she knew nothing. Of course, I wasn't going to tell her the entire story.

"Dad got some threats from a Yakuza member he booked," I answered, "He was their hit-man and because Dad is the one who made the arrest, they threatened him. So, the department is paying for all of this until things get straightened out. Don't get too comfortable, we'll be back in Japan soon enough."

She frowned at me. "That's not good."

"We'll be okay."

"Light-kun," I heard someone shout to me.

The sound of the person sounded like Matt. My assumption was correct when I noticed him walking briskly toward me. Was it really such a good idea to approach me in front of my sister? No, which meant something had come up.

"Who's that?" Sayu asked.

"He was an exchange student at my school. We ran into each other." My answer was bland and obvious, so much that it had to be believable.

"What's going on?" I asked him in English.

"I need your help on something," he said, "I'm lost on what to do. I'm nowhere near where I need to be."

I frowned. "I'll help you. Sayu, tell Mom and Dad I'll be back later."

"I'll come with you," she said, standing up with me.

"No," I said, "You either stay here or go to the hotel room. Dad has enough on his plate not to be worrying about you."

"Fine," she grumbled bitterly and threw her towel over her shoulder, "I remember when you were actually a cool brother. Now you're just mean and secretive."

I ignored her comment because I knew too well she was right. I looked back over to Matt, who was still watching my sister's little behind pass through the hotel doors. When he looked back to me, my eyes automatically narrowed in the same overprotective older bother way.

"You guys look alike," he said, rubbing his neck.

"So what's going on with Mello and Near? They haven't returned, have they?"

"No, and it's much worse than that. L wants to see you right away."  


* * *

  
"A distress signal came from Mello's belt," L's said as his fingers were tapping away at the keys, "It came from the old Headquarters."

"How are we supposed to get to Japan?" I asked, "It would take hours to get there. By that time, something could have already happened? And what about Near?" Matt and I both raced up to L's room. I did not even bother changing and had just put on a large white shirt.

"I'm working on that already," he answered, not bothering to look at me, "There was no distress signal from Near, but I can't find his location. I've received Mello's but Near's is lost. And Watari is working on a way for us to get to Japan very quickly."

"How--"

"Master Ryuuzaki," came the calm voice of Watari as he glided into the room, "I've contacted someone who can take you to Japan. He will be arriving here any minute from Tokyo."

A confused look crossed my features. "Tokyo...?"

Then, before my eyes could blink, there was a man standing in front of me; he appeared to have materialized from air, surprising me and making my stomach drop with shock. I actually stumbled back a few steps. The man was in a jacket and tie and was Japanese. He looked around at all of us, and that was when I realized he looked familiar.

"You!" I said, perhaps raising my voice more than necessary, "I know you." He looked at me. "You work with my dad at the police department. You're..." I scratched around in my skull for a name to match his face. "Matsuda! Tota Matsuda."

Matsuda blinked at me. "Yagami-kun?"

"I'm glad that you guys are acquainted with each other, but I'm afraid that time is not of the essence." L stood up from his chair and walked over to us. "Matsuda, how many people can you safely teleport to Japan?"

"Eh..." Matsuda scratched the back of his neck, "I've only done two people at the same time so far. I've never been asked to go higher than that."

"Will you be able to move three including yourself?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Good. Light-kun, Matt, come here." We both approached the two. "We need you to take us to Tokyo, Japan at the corner of Keysier avenue. Do you know where that is?"

He firmly nodded his head. "I know that place very well. There's a lot of misdemeanor crimes happening there that keeps the police busy.

"You will take Light-kun, Matt, and myself to that location. Then you will leave immediately. Understand?"

Matsuda's mouth open and he looked a bit intrigued at the severity of the situation he was unaware of, but nodded without asking anything. "I've never teleported so many people before, though. It could take a few more seconds."

"Just try what you can." I looked back and forth between L and Matsuda. I suspected that Matsuda must also work for the same company or organization as L, but did that make him his officer job a cover up then? It seemed the most likely.

"Just grab onto my jacket," he said, holding out his arms, "And don't let go until your feet touch solid ground or I could drop you in the ocean."

"What would happen if we fell into the ocean?" I asked in a slightly panicked voice.

"We won't need to worry about that if you don't let go," answered L wittily. He then took a fist full of Tota Matsuda's sleeve. Matt and I grabbed the flaps of his jacket.

"And Watari," L said to the older man in the tuxedo, "If Light-kun's family happens to be looking for him. Tell them his friend Ryuuzaki took him out for a spin."

"Yes sir."

"All right," Matsuda said, "I'd advise closing your eyes; some get sick if they don't."

Knowing that I was prone to getting motion sickness, I closed my eyes tightly and gripped Matsuda's jacket in a firm grip, most likely causing creases to appear. I didn't know what teleporting felt like, and I definitely did not want to fall off and lose everyone.

"Okay, here I go."

In a split second, my spine felt as if it had melted. It felt like I was drifting away, or falling, at a very high speed, faster than light! I think I was standing still but the surroundings around me were spinning wildly, but I couldn't be sure since my eyelids were tightly closed. I couldn't feel L, Matt, or Matsuda; just the piece of cloth I held tightly in my grip. Panic arose in me; did I perhaps accidentally rip the piece I was holding and I was falling away? Could they know that they lost me?

My knees suddenly buckled when something hard hit the bottom of my soles. I opened my eyes and put out my hands to catch myself on the concrete before I face planted into it.

"Are you okay, Light-kun?" I heard L ask.

"...Yeah..." Cold, night air brushed against my face. I looked up saw a store sign in kanji, telling me that I was back in Japan and in front of a convenient store. I turned my head when I heard a belching noise and saw Matt shove his head inside a trash can.

"I told you to close your eyes," said Matsuda.

I stood on my feet and right next to L. He was looking at the old building of the headquarters he left behind. His eyes were fixed in their illusionary state, though.

"Beyond was here," he said, "We should hurry. Matsuda-san, it's time for you to go back where you were before us."

"Right!" Tota's back curved forward in a low bow, "If you need me for anything else, L, don't hesitate."

He was gone in a blink. Another air of cold chilled my legs.

"Is Mello inside?" I asked.

"This is where the signal came from," answered Matt, gaining some color in his cheeks.

We ran inside. The door was unlocked and the lights were off. Our instincts lead us up the stairs, which reminded me could have been a very stupid mistake if Beyond was hiding in the dark; but we kept running up the stairs to save Mello and Near.

"Mello?!" L cried out when he burst through the door. The colors of his eyes were still opposite from normalcy. "Mello! Near!" His voice was amplified in the living room.

"The bedrooms!" I said, already heading down the hallway. I threw open the first door, not knowing whose it was, but inside was Mello. My stomach dropped when I saw him.

He was sweating profusely and seemed to be reaching and pulling at something that I couldn't see. His face was riddled in pain. My god...

I was pushed aside by L. "Dammit!" he cursed, biting his thumb, "Beyond got to him."

This was Beyond's work? L and Matt both pushed by me and went to Mello's side. I stood in the doorway, frozen to that spot. Mello was a mime who didn't seem to be able to see L or Matt right in front of him. I could hear his thoughts...

_'Get them off! Get them off!'_

His eyes were blank and daze looking. L finally grabbed Mello by the chin and forced him to look up at him.

"Look into my eyes, Mello!"

The ravenhead's technique must have worked because Mello was blinking fiercely at him, seeming to resurface from his illusionary stupor. He was still wide eyed and shaking.

"Eh-L?" he stuttered.

"You're safe," L said, "What happened?"

"Beyond...here..." His chest rose and fell with each gasp of breath, "Near!...Near...gone!" He swallowed harshly, "He took...Near!"

L's jaw clenched.

"Help me with him, Light," Matt said, throwing one of Mello's arm over his shoulders. I obeyed and walked over, heaving Mello on his feet from his other side. I could feel the tremors from Mello's body shake into me. The blond was drenched in sweat and his color was the color of spoiled milk.

"Will he be okay?" I asked L.

"Yes, he's just in shock. We should leave." L's eyes were normal, but they held a ferocious glint.

"What about Near?" Matt asked.

"He's not here, so our main concern is Mello. Once he's somewhere safe, we'll search for Near."

He was right and there was nothing left for us to do until we had Mello in a safe place. Matt and I heaved him on his shaking legs and held him up. L held the door open for us, but kept in front of us in case Beyond were to show up. God, I hope he wouldn't. If he could do this to Mello and the women in the photographs, what could he do to me? Carefully we brought Mello down the stairs and outside. He was beginning to gain his strength, but we still kept a good hold on him. The crisp air outside seemed to have helped his illness.

"We should call Matsuda and take Mello back to the hotel," Matt said.

"I'm fine," Mello said.

I looked at L's back. He still had not answered Matt. "L?" I asked.

"Shh!" he hissed harshly, holding his hand out to stop us. The three of us stopped in out tracks. L was standing upright, no haunch in his back. He looked rigid.

"We're being watched."

I felt the blood in my veins chill when a high pitched laughter echoed around us. L whipped around and looked up, and we did the same. On the roof stood three figures which I could not see very well in the night sky.

"Well, well, well," came an icy voice, "It's so good to see you again, Ellie."

* * *

_(A/N): Aww, darn. I forgot about . That's why there 2 chapters in this update. Sorry guys. I'm so embarrassed!_


	14. Chapter 14

**P.I.S. Chapter Fourteen: Tick Tock, Tick Tock**

If the world itself had a heartbeat, I believe it stopped in those seconds. My legs suddenly felt chilled from the inside, as if my blood had been replaced with ice water. I heard Mello snarl something animal-like and his lips thinned out into a twisted look of hate and disgust while Matt's lips grew tight like his eyebrows, half-glaring at the shadows; neither were looking at Beyond's silhouette though, which was probably a good idea. I adverted my attention to L instead. They way he stood clearly spoke that he was on the defensive. He stood almost a foot in front of us, protecting us I realized. His dark eyes were narrowed at Beyond, on the devil eyes I could not see. His back was straight, chin held high, and arms still at his side, yet I knew that those arms would move quickly if they needed to.

Another fit of hysterical laughter floated from the roof top. Then Beyond took a step off the roof and fell to the street, landing on his feet and hands in a crouch. The streetlight illuminated him in an orange glow like the rest of us. He curled his body into standing and lifted his head to us.

I looked right into his eyes.

I heard my conscious chastise me for doing something so idiotic, but whatever I expected to happen did not happen. Matt and Mello did not follow my steps and were safely looking at Beyond's feet--which were bare--and were safe from any illusions or hypnotic attacks. However, I could see every outline of red and black in those eyes, every detail that could sling me through the same mental ordeal that Mello had suffered from just minutes ago, but nothing happened. It could be that he wasn't looking right at me but at L. Eye contact must be a must, and Beyond was not matching mine. He and L were having a stare down. His eyes were also the same as we saw in the photograph.

L's voice suddenly came to me from the day prior when we had first learned of BB's history. _'I had to block off his eyes because of complaints from people complaining about nightmares where his eyes were present.'_ Now looking into his eyes, I could see where this came from. His red eyes looked inhuman, like he was a demon from Hell that had wrapped itself in the skin of a normal human.

It was then I realized just alike Beyond Birthday and L physically were. The clothes were exactly the same, I would even guess the same maker. His messy black hair matched L's unruly strands to minutiae details. But I could see differences, too. Beyond was skinnier whereas L was just thin. His nose was slightly off center and his eyes seemed a little too round to match his face, as if surgery had widen out the edges and created the dark circles under his eyes--which is probably the case. His thin lips curved into a twisted smile, not cat-like like L's but just sinister.

All this only took seconds for me to do because the two other figures followed after their master and jumped down to the road as if gravity was in their favor. One of them looked as if he would fit perfectly in at a high school or university. His white shirt and pants looked to be of uniform, even the glasses he donned even gave him the stereotypical look of a math geek. I wasn't very interested in what the other guy who stood on Beyond's other side looked like but more of what he was holding. We couldn't see clearly what he was holding on the roof, but now on the ground we could see he was holding something large and white in his arms.

Near.

He appeared to be sleeping heavily, but I was pretty sure that was all. If he were dead, they wouldn't hold him so carefully or being holding him at all. However, that did not stop Mello from making another snarl. Matt stopped him by squeezing his shoulder.

"It's been so long since we last saw each other face to face," Beyond said, greeting L as if they were simply bumping into each other.

"Eight years to be exact," replied L, voice calm and solemn. "I'm assuming that if I told you to turn yourself in, you would just scoff."

Beyond's smile widened, showing his canines. "Ah, you know me so well."

"I know the profiles of many psychopaths, B."

"Yes, but I hold a more...personal part."

L's eyes flickered from Near to Beyond. "Release Near and we'll settle this once and for all. One on one. You and me."

Beyond closed his eyes and laughed. "Ellie, Ellie. You know full well we cannot fight in the street. Our commotion would attract unwanted attention. However, I do have a plan in order, but it will need time."

"What plan is this?" L postulated.

"I know of a place," said Beyond, "that is far from human contact so we will not be disturbed. We will fight one on one to the death. The winner walks away alive."

"Release Near to me and I will accept your terms."

The L-copy shook his head. "No, no, no. I need him as leverage over you for now, L, to make sure that you don't go running to the Company for an army after me. I need to know you'll play fair."

"You have my word, Beyond."

"Yes, and as much as I respect your word, it is not enough." Scrawny shoulders lifted in a shrug. "But I will also give you my word that no harm will befall on him. He will simply stay sleeping, peacefully."

L's eyes narrowed. "Why are you holding him hostage when I already promised you I would show up?"

Beyond's wry grin gave me chills. "Because I don't want you to lose your motivation. He's the youngest, yes?" He looked at the sleeping boy in the other man's arms. "He's so small, like a child." The wind swept Near's white hair into his face.

"Let. Him. Go."

The tone was so menacing that I was almost shocked to hear it being spoken from L's lips. I swallowed and felt Mello tense but he made no other moves. Beyond seemed amused. He smiled at L's sudden dark tone.

"Save your anger for the battle, L," he said, "You are all going to need it."

"Explain, Beyond."

I watched as Beyond's lips suddenly turned to a frown. "Quit barking orders like I'm your dog. I'm in charge right now."

"I apologized. I stepped out of line." It took me a second to realize that L's retort had been sarcastic.

Beyond sniffed. "And you're a liar, but I will explain. It will be my team versus yours." His grin return. "The survivors win. Ah, Darwinism. Survival of the fittest. So! It will be four one on one battles. It couldn't get any better!" My stomach curled at the way he spoke of fighting to the death like it was a trip to the amusement park. He looked gleeful as he continued to speak. "One on one, face to face, vis a vis. It will be decided once and for all, L, who is the better man! Who is the better L!"

L glanced back at us. "Four? Other than myself there are only two on my team as Near is...out of commission." It appeared that he did not care what Beyond said about being the better 'L' but on the number of players in this twisted game.

Beyond raised an eyebrow. "What about the pretty boy?"

"He is an asset, not a team member. He is not even in alliance with the Company," L said.

"He follows you though, right? Like a little lost puppy, he follows his master, and you are his master. And he wouldn't do so if he didn't have any abnormal abilities like the rest of us."

L's lips curled in aggravation. "He is not going to fight, Beyond."

I looked down at Mello who hung unsteadily to my support. I knew Matt was more of the laid back type and disliked anything that required physical input. Compared to the muscular guy holding Near, the slim boy who looked like he had something up his sleeve, and a psychopathic killer, the only one of us who probably stood a glimmer of a chance was L, but even I knew he could not last long against all three of them. Even face to face with just Beyond, I couldn't let him fight alone. I couldn't allow any of them to fight alone.

"L." His name came so easy from my slightly parted lips. He turned his head to look at me. "I'll do it." His stared at me as though he had forgotten I was there. "I'm on your side," I said, "I'll fight."

I saw a glimmer of regret and sympathy flutter across his face. "Light, this isn't your battle."

I swallowed but nodded my head. "I know."

"You don't have any skills of combat."

"I'll learn."

We stared into each others eyes for almost a few minute. Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and turned away in defeat.

"All right," he said to Beyond, "It will be us four. When do you want this to happen?"

Beyond crossed his arms and looked smug that things had gone his way. I scowled. "In one month I will send you directions to my choice of destination. No firearms, but bring what you can."

"And you will not lay any harm to Near."

The sinister man raised his right hand like he was pledging to a boy scout vow. "I promise."

"I mean it, BB," hissed the ravenhead, "Not a single hair on his head should be touched. If anything comes to him, I will have more people sent to your location than the British Army, and there are many angry people who will not hesitate to kill you."

L's threat did not seem to deter Beyond in any way. "You're the only one I want, Ellie. I'm saving it all for you." Then, surprisingly, he bowed. "Now, we will depart until we meet again in thirty days." He smiled at L, showing off his teeth. "Get some sleep, L. You're going to need it."

The three turned away and walked into the shadows, and we let them.

"Are we just going to let them go?" Matt asked incredulously, "Do you really trust that he won't kill Near?"

"Yes, I do." L suddenly looked more weary and down than he had before. His normal posture returned. "He's an evil man, but he's an honest, evil man. He won't hurt him."

"Yeah but--"

"Matt."

It was Mello who spoke. He was looking down at the concrete. "L's right. We have to follow the rules that Beyond Birthday set up for us. If we make any jumps too early, he will die and it will be our fault. What we need to do right now is get stronger and train for battle."

Matt frowned at his friend but ultimately sighed. "Okay."

L was already dialing a number on his cell phone. He looked at me. "You have no choice now, Light. You have to learn how to fight, how to kill and not be killed, in less than a month."

I didn't say anything, but I suddenly felt claustrophobic. What the hell was I thinking?  


* * *

  
Matsuda returned when L called him and he took us back by teleportation—which almost made me sick again. My body and mind suddenly felt drained and deplete. A headache was forming between my temples and I realized I hadn't eaten since this morning. The logical thing to do was to eat, but I needed to train and learn how to fight, but when I asked L, however, he felt he agreed with the obvious choice first.

"Get some sleep," he told me, "You'll pass out from exhaustion and hunger if we work right now. And Mello also needs to rest. We'll pick up early tomorrow morning."

"What should I tell my family?" I asked him.

L seemed to ponder this. He nibbled on his the pad of his thumb—How he had not chewed off the skin left me baffled—and a grin tugged at his lips. "Tell them you're going camping with some friends."

Camping. Though my parents were a little more lax than others, I doubted they would be overjoyed of me telling them I met a few friends and decided to go camping with them in a foreign country; I was a good son but even this would raise some eyebrows. I walked to the room I shared with my sister while thinking of Beyond and Near and Mello and L. Anxiety gripped me. Now I had a time clock over my head slowly ticking past the seconds to thirty days. In thirty days, I would fight for my life and the lives of my friends. In thirty days, I would risk everything I had for people I had met only two months ago.

In thirty days, I would either be alive or dead.

I walked into the hotel room to see my family gathered around the television while The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise played. My mother and father probably barely understood the English dialogue but could still follow along. My sister was breaking up pieces of a chocolate bar as her eyes watched Tom with idolization. I crawled into the tangle of arms and legs of my family and situated myself comfortably next to my mother.

Neither of them said a word to me but my father nodded in a way of welcoming. They didn't ask where I was though I knew Sayu told them the same excuse I told her, though I could hardly remember what that had been. My mother put her hand on my knee. I knew why they didn't ask where I had been; because they trusted me. I was their honest to good, never faulty son. They trusted that I could do no wrong. They had no idea I had been hiding a secret from them my whole life. They hid no secrets from me but I did. I felt I was letting them down.

"I love you guys." I wasn't expecting the words to come out when I was thinking them, and neither had they. They looked at me slightly perplexed but my eyes remained on the screen. I could only vaguely recalling saying that phrase to a select few who I meant it to. If I came out of this alive, I vowed to tell my family I loved them more often.

My mother squeezed my knee. "We love you, too, son."

We finished watching the movie, or at least they did. I pretended to while my head reeled with thoughts of battle, broken bones, pain, and forceful dementia. My sister narrated the story line for our parents who nodded their heads dumbly as they tried to follow Sayu's frantic fan-girl talk of Tom Cruise's character. When the credits rolled, my parents wished us good night and left to their adjacent room. I took a long shower after realizing how sweaty and chlorine reeking my skin was. I was so tired, but as I laid my head down to sleep while I listened enviously to my sister's heavy breathing my thoughts would not cease and desist. I watched a few minutes of television at a low volume for about an hour. Nothing good ever came on at night.

Knowing that doing nothing would not help my morbidly-genius thinking, I stood up and tiptoed my way out the door, making very little sound as possible. The hallway lights were glowing brightly, as if it were daylight outside. I didn't run into anyone while I walked to L's room. When I was at his door, I contemplated whether or not to actually knock; it had to be nearly two a.m. and he should be asleep, but I also remembered him telling me that he doesn't sleep.

So, if it were true, he would be okay with this. Right? Right.  
I knocked on the door four times with the back of my knuckles. L answered it and looked at me with a regal expression on his face as if he knew I would be there in the middle of the night; I suddenly wondered if he did know I was coming?

His lips curved into a smile. "Good evening, Light-kun," he said, "Please come in."

I moved past him inside. The only light on was a lamp but the furniture had been spread out, leaving the living room with an open space. I noticed a plate with some fancy cake and a few cookies and a cup of tea that looked to have gone cold. I turned to L and realized that he had a slight sheen of sweat on his skin and he was holding a glass of water instead of tea like I usually saw him sipping.

"What have you been doing in here?" I asked.

"Making sure I had not become rusty in my combat skills." He sat down on one of the chairs against the wall. Like always, he sat with his knees pulled to his chest.

"You said you took capoeira, correct?" I asked, sitting myself into the seat next to him.

"Yes," he said, taking a cookie from the plate, "I wouldn't say it's capoeira exactly, but it is similar to it. Cookie?"

I declined. "Why do you sit like that?" It sounded rude but I was curious. Seeing him sit like that all the time made my thighs and calves ache, but it made his legs stronger as I remembered that kick to the chest he sent me a while back. It seemed forever ago.

"If I don't sit like this then my thinking decreases by forty percent," he said as he chewed the peanut butter cookie.

I wasn't quite sure what he meant or if he was tricking me. It was best to let it go, I decided. He gulped down some water to rehydrate himself after what I was sure was a work-out. When sat in companionable silence. It suddenly hit me that it was two o'clock in the morning and L was practicing his combat moves just as he told me I needed my rest.

"You said that you couldn't sleep," I postulated, looking over at him with a slight puzzled face, "Why? Why can't you sleep?"

He was watching me while hanging his thumb between his lips, not actually biting but keeping it there. I heard a small amount of air exhale through his nose. But instead of answering my question, he shot one at me.

"As someone who hears the thoughts of others, you must grow tiresome of thinking, yes?"

I blinked, slightly startled and slightly confused. "Sometimes," I replied, "But I've gotten used to blocking out other people's thoughts and focusing only on the ones I want to hear."

"Hmm." L removed his hand from his mouth and placed it on his knee. He looked up at the ceiling like he never realized it was that color. "I used to be able to do that. Stop thinking, I mean, not hearing other's thoughts. My job is to think strategically. To profile and capture deadly criminals with preternatural abilities by outwitting them. Needless to say, I'm very good at it. Whenever I needed to, though, I was able to shut off all thinking and have my brain on silence. This allowed me to get the right amount of sleep I desired and be refreshed in the morning." His eyes fell from the ceiling to stare at the wall. "But now I cannot do that. My brain continues to think obscene thoughts, thoughts I wish I never thought of. My brain will focus on one subject or object or anything really, and keep me reeling about it over and over. I must study and examine every angle of whatever I'm thinking." His eyes looked over to me. "I'm guessing that's the reason you're here today?"

My eyes looked at his. They looked so dark and heavy and weary now. I remember sleepless nights of hearing the thoughts of my family or strangers across the street. I remembered feeling so tired and palled and the migraines I got were monstrous. And L had to endure this for eight years...

...eight years?

My head snapped up. He was deciding on what cookie to select. "Wait, you said you haven't slept in eight years, correct?"

"Yes."

"And you caught Beyond eight years ago." I saw the corners of his lips twitch into a true smile. I was on the right track, I knew it. I just had to keep laying out what I knew. "And you told my father that Beyond's powers were similar, but that his was stronger." I frowned before I could finish the rest. I didn't want to actually.

But L seemed glad that I discovered his secret. He nodded his head approvingly. "Yes, Light-kun, it was Beyond that did this."

The feeling of grief and panic suddenly washed over me. Red, demon eyes danced around in my cranium. Beyond could do...that? I felt nausea and sick all of the sudden.

"I was seventeen when I captured Beyond," L said, "Very young and very naive. He was meant to be my proxy when he was only two years younger than I. As I told you, I wasn't a very nice person. I never met anyone who could hold an intellectual conversation with me, so I lacked social contact. Usually when someone picks a proxy or proxies, they get someone who has the abilities that are similar to their own. Beyond's abilities were nearly identical to mine, so they set us up." He smiled, but it did not look happy. "Beyond was so happy that I would be his mentor, but I wanted nothing to do with him. I wanted to be alone and to work alone. I remember refusing Beyond to learn properly how to handle this power. I told him to learn on his own as I did."

I listened intently. An image of a teenage L came to my mind and a teenage Beyond. "He did, didn't he?" I asked in a small voice, "He taught himself, I mean."

L's nod confirmed. "I wasn't aware of it, though. Like I said, I only saw him on three occasions, though sometimes I would get reports that I would glance over. He began using his powers on his classmates, seeing how far he could push them. It eventually ended as one of his classmates killed themselves before graduation. Instead of frightening Beyond, it thrilled him to know he could cause such destruction without lifting a finger. He ran away, went to Los Angeles, and killed more and more people." His spidery fingers raked through his disheveled hair. "I wonder constantly if he would have turned out different if I had taken him under my wing."

By listening, one would think L was just a cocky bastard, which I was sure he no doubt was, yet something else was tickling brain, something he was circling around but never reaching. My eyes widened a fraction when I realized what it was he was avoiding.

"It wasn't that you resented Beyond. It was that you resented his ability."

L raised a quirky eyebrow. "You believe I was jealous of Beyond having my abilities?"

I shook my head. "No, not that. I believe you disliked the power itself, not Beyond. That was the first reason you declined teaching him. It was after the fact that things began to grow...eccentric."

Now that my theory was out, all that was left was to wait for whether he claimed this as true or not. He blinked at me and then returned his eyes to the ceiling.

"Nothing good every comes from altering reality."

That one sentence was enough. His voice was monotonic, but I could sense behind the mask he presented that he not only disliked his talent but probably hated it, too. Corrupting minds to make them believe and see what you want them to see... I mentally shuddered. I thought about my powers and the days I remembered asking myself 'what use is this?' but I realized that good could still come out of it. But... L's powers did not seem like so. True, maybe he could ease the pain of others by making them forget—as in Misa's case—but it would always be there, wouldn't it? And just like he said, nothing good would come from altering reality because it was corruption all the the same.

I stared at L, seeing him in a new light. He always seemed cold and unnerving, stoic and cautious, but I knew the truth. He was a very compassionate person, though he would never admit it. Behind the passionless facade was the true L, the L who hurt and loved and cared and sympathized. He didn't want to hurt people, and he felt his powers did. I remembered how angry he became when Beyond had Near. He kept his heart locked away, but even I could see how much emotional pain he was hiding. He was worried, but he was so calm...

"What's the matter, Light-kun?" he asked me, "You look so lamented."

A heavy knot grew in my chest, pushing my heart aside to make room. I looked into his dark, dark eyes and saw myself staring back at me with such a depressing look. The same eyes that never closed for sleep, that saw the destruction that ruinous people created, and that held every million and one thought that crossed his mind. My heart felt like it would burst. I wanted, I wished, to take away the wounds I couldn't see and never knew about. I wanted L not to carry such burdens on his shoulders. I wanted to heal him somehow.

Yet, I could think of nothing to console him. Somewhere in my thinking, I took his hand. I examined his fingers and his knuckles. They were long and thin and his nails were jagged from biting. I cradled my face into his hand. It was so warm. Then his other hand cupped my face and we were kissing slowly, passionately. My arms wrapped around him, grabbing his shirt and pulling him tighter. I wanted to be connected. I never wanted to let go.

I just wanted L, me and L. No Beyond, no preternatural world or powers. Just us. In this moment.

Now.

* * *

_(A/N): The second chapter of my one day update. Sorry again guys! I keep forgetting about this site._


	15. Chapter 15

**P.I.S. Chapter Fifteen: Training Begins**

The next day my family was quickly boarded on the plane with the news that the false threat turned out to be mistaken and were not planned to be carried through. My sister and mother breathed a sigh of relief. Though it was morning when we boarded and everyone had gotten a good amount of sleep--except for myself--right after the drinks were served, all of us were fast asleep in our chairs; I suspected L slipped sleeping drugs in our drinks. I'd be angry at him if I hadn't also been grateful; drug-induced sleep meant heavy, non-dreaming REM, which I needed very much. It seemed only seconds flew by before I and the rest of my family was shaken awake by the flight attendants that we would be landing in twenty minutes at Tokyo's largest airport.

When we landed, it was very late. A quarter moon hung above us, illuminating the clouds above. No stars shone brightly because of the bright lights of the airport. Our legs were stiffed as we climbed the escalator to baggage claim. The airport had very scarce people other than those sleeping on the chairs with blankets handed out by the personnel. Even with very few people, it still took nearly a half hour before we stuffed our bags into a taxi and then ourselves into the leather and cigarette stinking seats. I heard my sister yawn and lean her head against my shoulder. Even after being drugged, we all still felt sluggish and tired. I nudged my sister awake when the taxi pulled in front of our house. Groggily, we pulled out our luggage and lugged them into our bedrooms without speaking a word to each other. Sprinkles of dawn shone through my window from the west. Whatever drugs we had consumed on the plane did not seem to have worn off. I collapsed on my bed and fell asleep without changing clothes.

* * *

Tonya hadn't slept since she last saw Beyond Birthday in her home. Her nerves were always jumpy and on edge, which was usual for anyone in the company of serial killer and psychopath Beyond Birthday. Her nights were wasted looking up at the ceiling, too afraid to close her eyes or even blink lest he be in the room with her. Every shadow she saw, and though he did not fancy her company and she saw less of him, she still had a prickling feeling he was watching her from behind, above, and all around. Her appetite would diminish every time she glanced at the half eaten jar of strawberry jam with its lid covered in sticky sweetness left behind from Beyond.

Today though, she was determined to relax. She filled the tub with hot water to the rim, poured powder chamomile into it, and some bath rocks that smelled of roses. The water felt oily on her skin and the aroma tickled her allergies, but she would finally wind down if it killed her. Water sloshed as she stepped inside, slowly getting used to the temperature with each inch she doused herself. The steam and perfume clogged in her nose. Completely submerged, she sunk to the bottom of her tub, hair swaying around her like algae in the sea. Her hair would be greasy from all the products but she would give it a good scrubbing after a few minutes of relaxing; if holding one's breath under water counted as relaxing. Without opening her eyes, she lifted her hand out of the water. It felt cool in open air. The skin on her hand wrinkled and skeletal-like. Then it became smooth and child-like. Her fingers expanded and became as thick as carrots. Then thin and spidery. Finally her original hand returned and she re-submerged it with the rest of her body.

She was in middle school when she discovered her ability. The way her nose or eyes or hair would slightly change from one day to another. How strange it was to admire the body of one of the girls in school and then see that the next day her body had expanded and blossomed. She used her powers to become beautiful, morphing herself into the ideal woman. High school was a blessed time. She was awed and popular. She always had a date Friday night. She broke many hearts and many rules. Tonya's shape-shifting made her the perfect thief and con-artist. She would woo wealthy men and then leave them after cleaning them out. Every new victim she became a new person. By karma's hand, she was fated to meet Vanya, who opened a door of opportunity. Riches to steal, more of her kind, a world kept in darkness now brought to light. He promised her so much, and she walked through only to begin falling through holes. Also meeting Vanya meant meeting agents of the company. Even disguised, she was wanted and needed to keep mobile. Her body changed so often she wondered if she lost the original completely. Was the real Tonya gone for good or buried under the pile of falsities and deception?

She was brought to the surface with a small gasp when a noise from the living area came to attention. She heard a murmur of voices, and her heart sank. Who else would enter her room unannounced but them? The air itself seemed to lower several degrees from the cold aura of a certain male. Cutting her bath short, she grabbed the bath robe from the toilet and slipped into it. Wet footprints trailed behind her as she gathered up her courage and waltzed out with her head held high; inside her chest, her heart thumped manically, loud enough to hear. She saw Beyond Birthday the same as usual. He was yawning widely, lips wide and gaping, showing several fillings from childhood. He looked more bored than tired even at this late hour. Simon and Vanya came in after him and locked the door behind them. Tonya felt a sudden thrill of panic; how did she know they weren't locking out the outside but locking her inside? She looked over to Vanya who was carrying a large, heavy red toke bag.

"What's in there?" she asked, nodding her head at it.

Vanya smiled at her, cat eyes gleaming. "Oh this? This is our lenience."

He pulled the zipper down and Tonya squeaked in surprise. Inside was not clothes or weaponry. No, inside was a boy so pale and white. Hands over her mouth, she turned to look at the monster who surely caused this. From his spot on her couch, Beyond was looking at her. His knees were drawn up to his chest and his head leaned against his hand for support. "He's not dead," he said, as if reading her thoughts, "He's just sleeping."

Tonya turned around back to the young boy who was being lifted off by Vanya. His curly white hair and clothes stuck in her mind. "He's one of the three you told me to follow."

"Near," Beyond said, "His name is Near. A child prodigy with extraordinary abilities. Of course, it was not his ability that allowed him to leave Wammy's two years early." Beyond unfolded himself and strolled over to the floor where Near was resting. He bent his knees and stood over him. "They didn't have anything to teach him. He was smarter than any tutor or teacher." Spidery fingers touched white hair and twirled a piece that stuck out more than the others.

"Your target is L," Tonya piped up, "Are you hoping to use the boy to turn himself in?"

"Of course not," Beyond said, unfurling into a standing position, "My one target is L. However, if I want him to obey my rules exactly, I will need something he can't afford to lose."

"Do you think this boy is that important?" Vanya asked.

"If you had asked me eight years ago, I would have said no." Beyond walked past them and into the kitchen. He returned with the jar of jam from the fridge. Tonya frowned at it. "You see, when I knew L, not that I really knew him, he was independent and found it burdensome to have any underlings." He licked his strawberry jam covered fingers wetly. "A man who obeyed his own rules, yet had his own boundaries. The Company saw him as a nuisance, yet he was too valuable to rid of. Then again, they wouldn't have been able to if they tried." He smiled almost nostalgic. "But now, now he's different. He has not only subordinates but an entire team! He's become a leader instead of a rogue player. He's a completely different person."

A let a drip of jam fall back into the jar before his pink tongue lapped at his knuckles. "Whatever the reason, his new change will be the end of him. He's grown too soft. He's grown too human. This boy is not just another proxy. He is family. L has contradicted himself and tangled himself in a web with which he has selflessly given me the thread." At this Beyond laughed shrilly.

Tonya looked down at the pale child. Near. A code name given to the exclusive Wammy children who worked under the Company. This child worked for the men she despised, who threatened to stick her in a horrible place much like the place Beyond had been sentenced to. His lips were parted and his eyelids heavy, but he did not appear to be breathing. She wanted to feel his pulse but dared not touch him. Still, anger flared in her throat at the man who was dripping jam on her carpet. Her nails dug into her palms.

"For God's sake, Beyond!" she yelled bravely, "He's only a child!"

The bravery quickly fell to idiocy and fear when Beyond looked back up to her. His eyes were wide, staring into her mind. They had not changed color, yet she could feel her skin turn icy. She was trembling visibly under his gaze. She feared the Eyes, the Eyes that could torture her with images she never wanted to witness. She didn't want to be his victim. God, please no.

But he never turned his Eyes on her. He simply looked at her. Then he stretched out like a cat and walked toward her. Her blood ran cold as his fingers outstretched toward her face. Surprisingly, they were warm on her chin. He smiled at her.

"Do us a favor, lass, and watch over him until we return."

He walked past her. Simon held the door open for them to exit. Beyond got just outside the frame when he looked back.

"Oh. I almost forgot." His smile was charming but monstrous. "He won't stay asleep for long. I suggest you prepare for his awakening. He's not going to be a very happy camper."

The door shut and Tonya lowered herself to the floor next to the sleeping boy. Yes, she could feel her extra years slipping away with each second she spent in Beyond Birthday's company.

* * *

  
Something was tickling my cheek. It traced over my cheekbone to my eye and forehead and down my nose. It irritated my skin and I swat at it, telling whatever it was to stop. Then it began to tap on the tip of my nose incessantly. Again, I swat at it and added a grunt of frustration. It seemed to have work because I did not feel it poke me anymore. I slipped back into the wonderful sleep I had been in just minutes prior.

Then my nose was painfully flicked.

"Ouch!" I grabbed my sore nose and opened my eyes. Above me were two pairs of black eyes and messy black hair. I blinked several times because his face was much too close to wake up to.

L smiled and sat back. "Oh, you're finally up." I rubbed my nose while trying my best to glare at him. "You missed breakfast but I brought it up to you."

He moved a tray I was unaware had been there onto my lap. There was steaming rice and eggs with juice and toast. I sat up and looked around my settings. I wasn't in my room anymore. The bed I was lying in was much bigger than the one at my house. This room was exceptionally large and had a vanity mirror, closet, and when I craned my neck, I could see a full bathroom. The room was mostly white with a few splashes of color from appliances such as the television and computer. The floor was a white carpet, too.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"We're in Great Britain," L answered, "I'm sorry but we won't be able to much sight-seeing today. You've been asleep for a whole day and we need to begin your training as early as possible."

My mouth fell open. "A whole day!" My temper flared and I grabbed the front of his shirt. The tray between us clattered but nothing fell, though now I had L's shirt in my eggs. "What the hell did you slip me?"

L did not look surprise by my outburst but removed my hands from his shirt with little effort. "I didn't slip you anything," he said, "I instructed the flight attendants to."

"You got stewardesses to drug me?"

"They prefer to be called flight attendants. And they're C-3s specialized in potion making. I just didn't think their sleeping potion would be so strong."

"I thought C-3s were a criminal class."

"Most are but we're working with them. Vanessa and Irene are more interested in flight than causing harm."

I rubbed my head, thoughts streaming around. I kept thinking of routers and adapters and wires and 010010111010... "Who else is here with us?"

"Mello will be arriving shortly," he said as he stirred soy sauce in my rice, "Matt is here."

So it was his thoughts I was hearing. The boy was enraptured by some kind of technology as I had always seen him with some kind of contraption, mostly video games he liked hacking and recoding.

"You need to eat," L instructed, lifting the bowl of rice to my face, "Your stomach will cave in if you don't."

I took the bowl and chopstick but did not eat yet. "What exactly is this place?"

"It was my original headquarters. Of course, when Mello, Near, and Matt moved in, I had to do some renovations. They do most of the decorating."

I knew then whose room I was in, and I felt guilty of sleeping in his bed when he was in the hands of that bloodthirsty killer. "What about my family?"

"You told them you were camping."

I raised an eyebrow. "I told them?"

"One of the effects of Vanessa and Irene's potions. I couldn't kidnap the chief of police's son so I had them instruct you to tell them you were packing for a camping trip with some friends from school." L once again thrust the chopsticks back into my hand. "Now eat. I will answer any and all questions when you're done. Your clothes are in the closet. I will be downstairs when you need me."

He removed himself from the bed and proceeded to the door. I wasn't sure whether to thank him or ask more questions so I remained silent. The door snapped closed behind him and I was left with my thoughts and the echoes of Matt's trying to figure out something I could care less about. My stomach ached with hunger and I began eating but the taste seemed bland with my mind on things back home.

* * *

Mello had returned after breakfast sweating profusely and smelling like fuel. My training began around noon after L was sure I was no longer drowsy and had a full course meal for lunch. I imagined it would be like a quick course in Karate, but instead I was sent out to the courtyard and told to run laps around the manor.

"You're kidding, right?" I looked at L, thinking he would smile his cat-like smile and then tell me he was going to teach me the steps in self-defense. However, he just raised the stopwatch and pressed a button.

"Go."

I didn't take a step.

"You're wasting time, Light-kun."

Aggravated, my sneakers stomped against the grass as I started running. The manor was huge and running around it was difficult. I managed to run six laps around it before I had to stop and hold my knees to keep from falling over, my chest heaving as I gasped for oxygen. My back and hair was soaked with sweat and the bright sun above us was not making things better. My legs ached and throbbed.

"Is that all?" L asked, looking at his stopwatch, "You don't have good timing."

I growled at him. "What the hell do I need to run for? I'm supposed to fight."

His dark eyes lifted up to mine. He was shrouded in the shadow of a large patio umbrella and had a glass of cold tea that I envied at. "The first step is to know is how to avoid danger. You can't be slow. If you can't handle a simple jog, then you won't be able to handle one-on-one combat without falling over from exhaustion." I glared at him. "Again." He pushed the button and I took off once again, with my body still aching and slowing me down.

* * *

"I'm home," Sayu announced as she removed her sneakers and slid them with the others.

"Welcome home," Sachiko said warmly. She was drying her hands with her apron after finishing washing the dishes. Her daughter tossed her school bag onto the chair and stretched.

"Has Onii-chan come home yet?" she asked, "I have a test I need him to help me study for. Mrs. Nakao is so mean about tests."

"Oh," Sachiko frowned, "I guess we forgot to tell you. Light went camping with some friends of his."

"Oh." Sayu looked away, disappointed. "Did he say when he would come back?"

"No, he didn't say."

The youngest Yagami furrowed her eyebrows. "And you let him go even when he has school?"

"Well, Light has always been prestigious in school work. I'm sure he'll get caught up if he misses a few days."

Sayu stared at her mother incredulously, wondering what had happened to the usual woman who had always taught them never to skip out on their studying. Sachiko kissed her daughter on the forehead and went back into the kitchen. Sayu followed after her.

"Aren't you afraid that he will be too far behind?" she asked.

Sachiko looked over at her. "No. Should I be worried?"

The young lady looked at her mother with a confused look. She was acting very peculiar and out of character from the usual stern mother who worried over her children whenever they were not under the house's roof.

Sayu smiled. "No, there's nothing to worry about. I'm going upstairs to my room now."

Along the way, she paused at her brother's closed bedroom door. It was plain and had nothing special about it but it felt as though behind it was a secret that kept her brother away and making excuses.

"What are you up to, Onii-chan?"

* * *

_(A/N): Nothing much happening in this chapter. Light starts his training not doing what he thought he would. And it looks like Sayu thinks her brother is acting suspicious. What will happen next?_


	16. Chapter 16

**P.I.S. Chapter 16: Reading Between the Lines**

It didn't take Near very long to realize that the here and now was not truly here or now. Everything he touched felt real and solid. The food he ate tasted with full flavor. However, whatever this was wasn't reality; he figured this out very quickly. How long he had been here he did not know but he knew things that happened before they happened and not thanks to his powers. They had happened before. A reel of memories playing out all over again and he couldn't stop it. He was stuck in deja vu.

"Many things will be different," said the social worker beside him. She had a pretty heart shaped face and curly blond hair. Her wrist had on a silver watch dangling from it and her nails were painted with a clear coat. "But I promise you it will be for the best. You'll be able to grow more control on your gift. They'll take very good care of you. You'll make so many friends, friends just like you."

The thumbprint pad scanned her thumb and beeped with approval before the iron gates hydraulics hissed and began to spread apart for entrance. She squeezed his shoulder and walked him down the black tar driveway. Many people believed it to lead to an elaborate mansion, even rumors of a government laboratory. They were not far off. The two story manor house was broken into three sections with a large courtyard and sidewalks leading to each building. The light drizzle had run all the kids inside. They would be eating lunch about this time.

"This place is wonderful," the woman said, smiling down at him with pink lips, "I promise you, Nate."

"No," he whispered.

She inclined her head. "Is there a problem?"

"My name won't be Nate anymore. Not as soon as I'm enrolled. I'll be leaving that behind."

Her smile turned piteous. "Sometimes in order to look forward to the future..."

"...one must leave the past behind," he finished for her. She squeezed his shoulder. "Thank you."

"Let's hurry. You must be tired after the ordeal."

"Yes."

And she lead him up the stone steps of Wammy House. First he would meet Roger and eat alone in his room. Then tomorrow morning he would meet Mello and Matt. Then Linda and everyone else. He remembered exactly how each morning and afternoon and night would play out.

But why was he reliving it?

* * *

Sweat dripped from my nose and chin. The gray shirt and pants I was wearing showed sweat stains from my underarms and neck. My lungs filled with oxygen and released carbon dioxide on demand, each breath perfectly maneuvered so I would not be breathless. My pulse was steady and quick. I graduated from running through the forest and into some strange intricate design of obstacles that attempted to up-end me, to slow me down. I couldn't slow down.

_"This is meaningless!" I shouted breathlessly, "We've been here for three days and you have me running circles!" Angry, I punched the porch railing. L was standing in front of me, fanning himself with a magazine and scratching one leg with the other._

_"Light-kun," he said with very little interest, "You will learn proper combat in due time. For now, you need to learn how to escape."_

_I rubbed the sweat off my forehead before it dripped into my eyes. "I know how to run. It is cowardice to run away."_

_"Cowardice?" L dropped the magazine on a the swinging bench. "If someone comes at you, stronger, bigger than you, more skilled than you. Do you stick to fight? No. You get the hell out of there. You don't have to be the fastest. Just faster so you can fight again."_

_"But what if I have to stop him?" I asked, "What if I know he'll kill more people if I don't?"_

_L's eyes seemed to flash something strange before going back to their usual bland numbness and boredom. "There are two things you can do. You can run and come up with a plan to better prepare yourself for combat, or you foolishly go ahead and attack without sizing your opponent up. I call them heroic fools. There will be no fools-heroic or not-on my team."_

_He turned around, muttering something about pie and was about to step back into the house. I bit my lip, irate at his behavior, and grabbed his shoulder and pulled him around to face me. However, when I did, he put his hand inside his pants and pulled out a .22 and aimed it between my eyes. I froze and looked into the mouth of the gun. My legs felt like firm jelly, holding me up but completely useless in action other than standing. My heart dropped into my knees with the rest of my innards and my blood suddenly seemed to have paused._

_"Bang," I heard him say. My eyes would not tear away from the gun, afraid to see the mini-explosion and see the bullet spiral into my head. "You're dead. Not a hero. Just a fool."_

_He lowered the gun and held it by his side. Now I could look him in the face._

_"Y-You...you just pointed a gun at me..." My voice was shaky and unlike my own. I was surprised I wasn't trembling._

_"Oh, don't worry. It's empty of its bullets." To emphasise, L pointed the gun away and to the floor and pulled the trigger. However, instead of hearing just a click, there was a bang and the porch floor suddenly had a hole in it with splintered wood and pieces of paint chipped off. I jumped and stumbled back. L blinked in surprise._

_"What the hell was that?" Mello came barreling out, holding what looked like a swollen version of a machine gun. He looked back from L and me and saw no enemy._

_"Intruders?" Matt came behind him, holding a small pistol. He looked puzzled and loitered in the door frame, not moving past Mello._

_I looked at L, my lungs didn't seem to be working. He looked back to me. "Looks like I forgot one."  
__  
_L's stunt that had almost killed me had also taught me the moral of the story. That this was no story. This was not a movie and death was very serious. I didn't question him again when he told me to run in the maze of obstacles. I obeyed and jumped over every spring-loaded hurdle that shot out of the grown under my feet. I dodged and twisted my body to avoid metallic disks shot out of the bushes. I jumped across gaps and inched my way across the thin ropes and narrow man-made ledges of chasms with soaring water below; I wasn't sure where the water was coming from but I knew it wasn't a rafting trip I should take.

And standing at the end of the maze of death-a nickname I heard Mello and Matt both use-was L, wearing a stop watch. The bushes here turned from natural and green to metallic. I dropped to my stomach as the leaves of these bushes exploded and shot across each other, inches above my head. I crawled on the dirt to the other side until I was in the safety zone. The bullet-like marbles stopped shooting and the maze was quiet, intimidatingly quiet.

L looked at the watch and smiled. "Not bad. Much better. Much better."

* * *

The strenuous aerobic workout I did from morning to night left me famished. At each meal I did very little talking and concentrated more on making my roaring stomach silent. My legs ached dully each night and was stiff each morning, but I was getting better at dealing with it. I had also lost a lot of weight. Not too much whereas I looked too skinny, but more agile and built like a runner. I was improving each day, and each night that I slept in Near's room, I was reminded of why I was pushing myself. Why we all were. We didn't just lose a comrade. We lost a friend.

'_I wonder,'_ I said to myself as I worked the black and white Rubix cube that Near must have worked on thousands of times, '_Can he possibly use his powers to get out of whatever mess he's into? Or is Beyond too strong?'_

"Hey."

I lifted myself off the mattress to see Matt in the doorway. "Hey," I answered back.

"L wants to see you. He's in his bedroom."

I nodded and Matt swiftly left. I had never been to L's bedroom before but had a general idea where to find it. The manor was big but did not have that many rooms. Just lots of space. The evening sunset highlighted the hallway in an eerie bluish glow. L's bedroom was on the first floor on the east side, the room closest to the kitchen, I noticed. Aside from the sound of violins and Chopin playing, it looked like a door to any other room.

It was opened before I could knock. L stood before me, slightly slouched and licking something off his fingers. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot." He walked back inside and I followed. His room was quite...bland. There was a mattress on the floor with a pillow and blanket and the hardwood floor was littered with empty plates and glasses. Shoved into the corner were several monitors and desktops and a nest of wires, all turned off; one computer was even lopsided and had been stripped of its innards. If it were not for the multi-million dollar property this room was built in, one would suspect L lived in poverty. I knew he had no decorative skills, but this was just ill-fitting.

"Have a seat," he said. I looked around for a chair and, seeing none, took a seat in front of him on the floor as he lowered himself on the mattress. The CD player continued to play but its volume was lowered so we could speak.

"It's time for the next step in your training," he said, "You can run, but as you said before, there are times when running won't help you. When flight is not an option, you must fight."

My lungs hitched. "Does this mean you're going to teach me combat?"

"You're going to learn how to defend yourself, but it's not going to be me. Mello will be waiting for you at nine in the morning in the courtyard. Your gi is on your bed."

"Thank you," I said, "Is that all?"

"Yes, go to bed now. You have a full day tomorrow."

I bowed and left and shut the door behind me.

* * *

L kept his eyes on the door where Light disappeared behind its doors. There was a ripple behind him and Mello materialized.

"Is this really such a good idea?" he asked.

"Do we have any other choice?"

"If the Company finds out about this-"

"The company doesn't need to know about Light."

Mello leaned down and turned off the music and stepped in front of his boss. "Is there a certain reason why I must be the one to do his training?"

"Light-kun must learn to use his abilities in life and death situations. It takes too long for him to read a thought and stop it before it happens if it is impulsive. You are the perfect person to show him the way to read impulsive behavior instantly."

Mello put his hands in his pockets. "L, there's something I need to ask."

"Yes Mello?"

"If Light can't read your thoughts, does that mean he can't read BB's either?"

"Hm." L licked the sugar cube he grabbed out of the glass bowl next to his bed. "It's very plausible. Our powers are nearly identical. However, there is one major difference between us. I'm just hoping that Light will figure that out before its too late."

"You should start practicing, too. You'll become rusty before your match with Beyond." Mello waved him goodbye and opened the door to leave.

"Mello," L called out, "I shouldn't have to tell you this but it is important that you not only hope for the best but expect the worse. He's not in a good position."

"I know." The blond shut the door behind him.

* * *

We only had two weeks left before the big day, so we had to hurry in our training. B had yet to tell us our destination and I wasn't sure how we were going to get the message, but I did notice that with two weeks left, everyone was cracking down on their training. L always returned shirtless and brimming with sweat. I noticed, too, that his physique was also changing, becoming more muscular, which he hid very well underneath his baggy clothes. Matt, whose talent was in robotics and computers, often brought his gadgets out and upgraded them. One project he had he kept in his room, something he called his "top secret" whenever we asked about it.

When I met with Mello in the morning, he was pleased to know that I had previous training in karate back in grade school so I only needed to brush up on my positions and katas. Lucky for me, I quickly fell back into my old routine. After a few hours, Mello faced me and bowed. From the way his body was, it was easy to see that he was the most physically in shape, and the most active. His arms had always looked slender but while he was fighting, he was very intimidating with quick and powerful punches. He was great at dodging, as every punch I threw was blocked or evaded. And I was already beat up from Mello's counter attacks.

"Dammit," I muttered. If I didn't improve soon I was going to get my ass kicked by whomever and probably not live through it. I was starting to rethink my involvement in this whole thing. Could I really risk losing my life and leaving my family behind?

"This is enough for tonight," Mello said, throwing a white towel my way.

"No," I said, panting for breath, "I'm not getting better and I won't be a match for Beyond Birthday in two weeks."

Mello crossed his arms. "You're not paying attention to me. You're not reading me."

"I'm trying to read your movements. You're too fast for me."

"Tch." He narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that your ability was to read movement. How silly of me." I looked at him, furrowing my brow. "Every physical action is made by a message from the brain to the limb to carry out the deed." He clenched his fist. "When I want to punch, my mind tells my body to do what it needs to. Isn't that your power? To read minds?"

It was then his fist cracked me in the cheek. Spit flew from my mouth and I stumbled but he came after me.

"Listen to my thoughts, Light!" he shouted as his fist dug deep into my gut. Bile rose in my throat.

A kick to my side.

"What am I going to do next!"

"I don't know!" I yelled. I fought back and threw a punch but he grabbed my wrist and twisted behind my back.

"Figure it out then!" He pushed me away from him. I kept my stance and we stared down.

"It takes only milliseconds for the brain to discharge a message to the arms and legs and other parts of the body," Mello said. "You're not training to only fight. You're training and controlling your ability. Don't just read my thoughts. Read my intuition. Read my impulses. Every movement I have is created by a message from my mind! Read my goddamn mind!"

"That's impossible! The signals from your brain on impulse are too quick for me to read!"

"Then figure it out or you're going to die!"

He charged and we continued our bloody spar.

* * *

(A/N): I feel so bad because I forgot to upload.


	17. Chapter 17

**P.I.S. Chapter 17: No Mistakes**

There was no doubt anymore that this world was a fake, a hoax. How he came here he did not know, but he did know that whoever was setting this up must have attended Whammy House at some point. There were no girls at the academy and the school had become co-ed the same year Mello joined. The fact that Linda and the other girls he remembered were not present and the girls' dormitory was missing proved to him that these were not just his memories but were fabricated by someone else. The identity of that person was still a mystery.

Near made several attempts to upset the balance of this artificial world and to pull it into his favor. He purposely gave false answers on tests; he never got a score of less than perfect at Whammy House so ruining his credit had to create a ripple of some kind. However, when the tests came back, his answers had been changed and the perfect score laid before him.

He picked up the paper delicately and reread the answers. They were correct and his quickly pulled together plan to get the teacher's attention of his false answers quickly fell just as fast as he thought of it; they were not the answers he gave. Behind him he heard a snicker and knew it was Mello without having to look back.

"Another perfect score," he heard the blond teenager say, "Perfect Near is always so perfect. I bet your white world would come crumbling down if you made one mistake."

"I can't make a mistake," he muttered.

He could actually feel Mello's anger. Mello spat something and turned on a heel to join Matt and compare scores. Near continued to gaze at the red curly numbers of the '100' and a note of 'Great Job' from the instructor. This wasn't right. He had purposely wrote wrong answers. Why could he not make the mistakes he wanted to make? Because he wouldn't have before?

This was not his first attempt to create some kind of change. He had done several things to get the attention of his professors. He gave false information, broke his toys, and attempted to throw his grades and chances of being L's subordinate down the drain. However, everything was swept under the rug and forgotten by administration. His toys returned to his closet unharmed and looking brand new. His grades never suffered and he remained number one.

He picked up the test and tossed it in the trash on his way out. In the hallway stood Mello with a half wrapped bar of chocolate. He was talking to Matt about something when his brown eyes looked over at Near. He bit off a chunk of chocolate as he left Matt halfway through his sentence to torment his rival.

"Perfect little Near," he teased, "Always number one, right? Well, one day I'm going to surpass you. You'll make a mistake and I'll be the one to gain the glory. Remember that."

Near's blue eyes looked up at him. Mello had a smudge of chocolate on the side of his mouth. They locked eyes for a minute, Near thinking on the irony of Mello speaking of the same mistakes that Near had _purposely_ attempted just a few minutes before. The hallway was empty now as kids were hurrying to leave the school to play. It was just the three of them, Matt keeping his distance; he never got in the middle of their encounters.

"Excuse me, Mello," Near said, trying to get past him.

Mello's body rippled and his body disappeared, only leaving his clothes seemingly to float with no body. Near felt hands on his back as he was pushed down and landed on his stomach, making and 'oof' sound as he hit the floor. The blonde's body rippled again and he reappeared, laughing hard as he watched Near climb back up to his feet and dusted his hands off.

"What's the matter, Near? Can't keep your balance?"

Near twirled a piece of hair. "I seemed to have tripped over _nothing_." It was a jab, an insult at Mello's part, and the blond had picked up on it. His face twisted in a scowl at being called nothing. He grabbed the albino by the shirt and spun him around.

"While you little-!"

"Mello!" Roger's voice yelled out as he brusquely walked over when he heard Mello's shout. Mello let go of Near but the scene had already been caught. "What do you think you are doing?" he scolded.

As Roger was about to go into his lecture about how important it was not to use their powers during class time and not causing a public scene, Near saw his opportunity. This could not be ignored when Roger was right there. It would be very out of character of him and would raise many eyebrows. He would get in trouble and his perfect record would cease and Roger was right there to witness it.

Near, pacifist and perfect, took a step forward and with all his might pushed Mello as hard as he could. The blond stumbled over and hit the adjacent wall, a look of shock on his face. Near held his breath. He waited for Roger's voice to fill the hall as he yelled at Near. He waited for Matt to step in. He waited for Mello to retaliate with violence. He waited.

But nothing happened. Mello straightened and looked at Roger with the same bored, whatever expression he wore before Near's sudden bout of violence. Matt continued to watch from the background with his hands in his pockets. Roger continued his lecture. It was like Near's stunt didn't happen. Because it never really would happen.

Roger issued Mello a detention and the blond tsked and stalked off. Roger, feeling his headmaster duties had been fulfilled, walked in the direction of his office.

"Sucks that you got a detention," Near heard Matt tell Mello.

The chocolate loving boy shrugged one shoulder. "No big deal. It's not a real punishment."

"Don't let Near hear you say that," Matt said as one green eye looked back at him.

Mello laughed out loud. "What's he going to do? Psychically track me down and stalk me?" He laughed harder as they rounded the corner.

Near stood in the middle of the hall, head reeling. His heart fluttered. Of course! If this time line was correct, his telekinetic ability had yet to be discovered at this point. His only ability known to them were his aura readings and tracking. But did that mean he possessed that ability in this strange world? It was physical, not mental, so would it not work in this strange realm?

He had to find out. He had to do something, something big to get their attention, to create a problem that couldn't be fixed right away or ignored.

* * *

Left. Left. Right. Left. Uppercut. My hands swayed in front of me without my command, knocking Mello's fists away. My feet continued to step backward and Mello kept coming for me but I had been blocking every one of his attacks. My mind was blank as was his so I couldn't concentrate on his thoughts. It was pure impulse and instinct. My brain was reading his movements before he knew what to do.

My arms were bruised from blocking his strikes. I couldn't continue to stay on the defense if I wanted to survive the upcoming battle. I needed to search for an opening.

He's planning a fake. It came to me instantly just when he pulled back his fist, ready to strike me. Only I knew he wasn't going to. It only came halfway before his leg cocked, ready to kick me in the side of my head. He was fast but my arms, on their own accord, grabbed his foot. My hand holding his leg jerked him towards me and my fist made contact with his chin. That was the first time I had actually landed a blow on Mello.

He rubbed his chin and smiled at me. "That's what I'm talking about. Now, come at me with everything you got!"

I got into stance just as Mello did. We continued our sparring but as the minutes passed along with the fists and kicks, it became increasingly difficult to read into Mello's impulses as well as I had. Every once in a while a flash of a white haired boy would block my concentration.

Crack! I rocked backwards, my right cheek burning from his last punch.

"What's the matter, Light-kun?" came L's voice as he strolled across the lawn, hands in his pockets and hunched over, "You were doing so well."

"I'm fine," I said.

Mello had stepped out of stance and crossed his arms. "C'mon, read my thoughts like you were before."

"I'm trying to," I answered, trying to catch my breath. "It's a little more difficult than before."

"Why's that?" L asked, cocking his head to one side.

I answered L's question to Mello. "You're thinking about other things that are distracting me."

Mello's brown eyes slightly widened and his cheeks turned into an interesting shade of pink after he registered what I was saying; he obviously realized I could see exactly what he was thinking. L scratched the back of his leg with his foot. "Perhaps it would be best if Mello clears his head," he said, "I'll be Light's sparring partner in the mean time."

I swallowed as Mello nodded and walked off. I looked over at L as he stretched his legs. "You're going to spar with me?" I repeated.

He looked up at me from his stretching. "Yes, and I'm a much different opponent than Mello. He trains in Karate whereas I am more talented in Capoeira and Muay Thai."

"But this exercise is to help me read instincts. I can't read your thoughts."

His wry smile met my eyes. "Are you so certain you will face someone who will be easy for your abilities? As far as you know, I'm the only one whose thoughts you can't read but there millions of other things out there we don't know."

"I've never had any problems with anyone else except you."

"How about animals?"

I blinked in surprise. "Animals? It's very unlikely that my opponent will be Scooby-Doo."

L's cat-like smile didn't falter. "Some men are very much like beasts, Light-kun." He stood in stance, legs far apart and arms lock. "Now then, come at me."

* * *

Sayu squinted her eyes as she pressed her face against the glass window. Inside the building was dark and empty. She had just come by here last month. How could they be gone so soon? She brought out the business card of this office again and stared at it, hoping it would give her answers to all of her questions; one being why she found this in her brother's room.

She didn't believe her parents' excuse to her brother's long absence to camping. Knowing Light and his mannerisms about his looks and hygiene, he would not spend one weekend, let alone an entire month, out in the woods. He was hiding something and doing a pretty lame job of doing so. Their mother and father were acting strange, too. Her mother always set his place at the dinner table until she suddenly remembered he was camping when Sayu brought it up. When she asked her father when he was coming back, he avoided the question and made excuses about work. She was tired of getting the runaround. After snooping in her brother's room, she discovered the business card of the 'Paranormal Investigation Squad'. She had come looking for answers for her brother's involvement with such a strange group, especially when her brother's beliefs meant such things as "paranormal" did not exist.

Except it was empty now. There wasn't even an out of business or change of address sign anywhere. They just ceased to exist. Perhaps their business had been so bad they didn't want to advertise their failure to the world; she couldn't see many people interested in being their customers. So why was Light interested in something that he seemed too bored and critical of? And the day she came by, too. She could hardly remember details about it. It was cloudy and sketchy, like a distant dream. Orimo could not remember anything, either. She was doing much better, though, so Sayu did not think much about it other than being grateful to have her friend back to normal.

She tried to open the door once again but its lock would not budge.

"Grr," she growled, exasperated, "This is going nowhere."

"Is there a problem?"

Sayu started and turned around to see a blond, foreign woman and a young child a few years younger than Sayu staring at her oddly. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Haha," she laughed nervously, "I was just wondering if they were still in business or not."

The woman read the outline of the painted door. "Are you into the paranormal?"

"Er, not really. I'm just curious."

"I see." A beeping sound came from the woman's purse. She brought out a cell phone but did not look at the screen. Instead, her blue eyes never left Sayu's face. She pressed one of the buttons and the beeping ceased. The corners of her mouth turned upwards in a smile. "Well, let me introduce ourselves to you. My name is Halle Lidner and this is Linda, my niece." Linda gave a meek wave. "If there's anything you need, give me a call."

Sayu took the business card Halle offered her from her breast pocket. "Er, what do you mean?"

Halle's smile widened very slightly, showing brilliant, white teeth. "You're interested in the paranormal, right? I might be able to help you. To quench your curiosity, I mean."

Sayu blinked at the card. "Thanks?" she said, sounding unsure.

"C'mon Linda," Halle said to the young girl, "We've still got lots of errands to run." She gently led the girl down the sidewalk towards the bus stop. Sayu watched them for a minute, puzzled at such strange people.

"Weird," she muttered. After some thought, she put the card in her pocket.

* * *

The pain in my abdomen was so intense I could not hold myself upright. My lungs felt like they would collapse, and something so easy as breathing was very painful. All because of a kick L had launched into my stomach. My body was bruised and my ribs felt close to breaking. My lip was bleeding and my head was throbbing. And L had barely broken a sweat. I had not been able to land anything on him, absolutely nothing. He contorted his body to odd angles and did strangle flips and curves to block my attacks. I had never seen capoeira fighting in front of me, and seeing L bend this way and that and flip like a dancer was more than bizarre; he just did not look a person capable of doing things like that with his horrible posture.

But my thoughts weren't on L at this moment. They were on trying to breathe. I was gasping heavily from being winded. I saw L's toes in front of my face as he stood over me.

"We're done for today," he said, "You're getting much better."

I said nothing, feeling his statement was untrue since I was still clutching my gut in pain. He bent his knees to see me face to face. "Perhaps I hit you too hard," he noted.

_'You think?'_ I thought sarcastically, glad he couldn't hear my thoughts. I pulled myself up, ignoring the throbbing my intestines were making from having to move. A drip of sweat dribbled down my chin. I swallowed hard and took in deep breaths and was just about to tell L I could continue when we both saw Mello running towards us. His face was pale and grave looking.

"We got a message," he said when he caught up to us, "From Beyond. Came in just a minute ago."

L and I both glanced at each other and then the three of us were sprinting to the manor. Matt was setting up the computers to the flat screen just when we came through the front door.

"How did he send it?" L asked hurriedly.

"From an email," he said, "He hacked into Near's account and sent it from there."

L sat down in his usual chair and we gathered around. "Is it possible to find the location of where the email was sent?"

"Just got it," Matt said, typing hard at his laptop, "I can't trace it's exact location but it's from a Dell laptop, series 1520."

"Find out what name the laptop is under," Mello commanded.

"On it."

"Go ahead and play the message," L said, scratching the denim on his knees.

"Okay, just got the results back," Matt said. I could see the reflection of the screen in his goggles. "It's under the name of Yorashime Takami."

I chewed on the inside of my lip. "Why does that name sound so familiar?" I asked.

"She was killed three months ago," L answered me, "It was one of the homicide cases your father and I butted heads against. She was killed by a Rogue and her body was infested with eggs. We had to exterminate them without raising suspicion, which made your father angry seeing as how we could not give him sufficient information."

"If Beyond's posse has her laptop, they must be related to the case," Mello noted.

"I'm playing the video," Matt said.

The television showed a gray screen until it blinked and a picture of Beyond Birthday showed him sitting in a chair. "Hello hello," he said, smiling wickedly, "The day is fast approaching, L-sama, and we have found a sufficient location for our reunion." He disappeared and was replaced with a picture of a half built building still under construction. "This is the Kawasaki factory five miles outside of Tokyo, or at least soon to be. Unpaid funds kept them from finishing until next season, making it the perfect spot," Beyond continued the voice over, "There are security cameras and alarms but I'm very sure you'll be able to avoid any unnecessary attention." Beyond reappeared. "There are only three days left. In three days, you will meet us here at midnight. Bring no weapons outside your abilities, and if you decide not to come...well, that won't be good for your little prodigy here, will it?"

The camera, a camcorder it seemed, moved to the left to show the man in the glasses I remembered holding a knife to Near's throat while he held his head back by his hair. Near's mouth was open slightly and his eyes were closed, showing he was still asleep. Beside me I felt the burning anger emanating from Mello.

"I can't wait to see you again, Ellie," Beyond continued, "I hope our reunion will be as fun as last time. Ta ta for now."

The clip ended and the gray screen appeared. None of us said anything as the information sank in. Three days. Finally, I couldn't take it.

"What do you do now?" I asked.

L leaned his head against his hand. "We wait. Tomorrow we will travel back to Japan. Light-kun, you will not contact your family under any circumstances. We cannot allow any of us being traced. If you survive you can reunite with them afterward, but never mention any of this, not even to your father."

He stood up from his chair. "Get plenty of rest," he told us, "We're leaving early tomorrow. In the mean time, Matt, I want you to gather any information on the security of the Kawaski factory outside of Tokyo. Make sure there's nothing rogue going on in there." Matt nodded. "Good night everyone."

We all muttered our good nights and separated into our rooms. My face paled and I felt sick as I replayed Beyond's message and L's instructions. If... Such a strong yet fragile word. If... Would my training be enough? L was able to kick my ass, did that mean I would be easy prey to my next opponent? Would the next time my parents and sister see me be at my funeral, not knowing how I died?

"Enough about that," I told myself, splashing my face with cold water in Near's bathroom, "Thinking like that will only get you killed. You can't make any mistakes. No mistakes."

If...


	18. Chapter 18

**P.I.S. Chapter Eighteen: Showdown Pt One**

_(A/N): I apologize for such a long chapter. ^^;_

I had never been so nervous. To know that this day may be my last I spend on this Earth, I realized then what it must feel like to walk onto the war-zone as a soldier, except I was no soldier. I was not defending freedom or fighting for my country. I was fighting for the next nameless victim that could fall into Beyond's hands or his minions. Whether I lived or died, I would be faceless and forgotten. There would be no medals waiting for me at the end. No ceremonial funeral awaited me were I to die. And were I to survive and live, no one would know of the horrors I faced. My family would never know the "true" me. They would only understand the lies they were told if I never made it home. And if I lived? Would I have the courage to face them and tell them who I really was?

I wondered if I should pray. Perhaps this was my last chance to redeem myself for my sins, and should I die, I'd have a spot waiting for me in Heaven. But I'm not the religious type, and I'm not the down on my knees, praying type either. Instead, I just stared out the window, knowing well that L had been watching me from the door. I wondered if he would say something about my solemn attitude. In fact, I waited for it.

Instead, he said, "Are you prepared for tomorrow, Light-kun?"

"Yes," I said before I had the anxiety had the chance to paralyze my vocal cords.

He continued behind me. "And are you afraid?"

I was honest. "Yes."

"Good. Fear will keep you alive." He shut the door and my eyes lifted to my window where the blinds were spread apart. The moon was hidden on the other side of the house and the gray clouds from earlier had covered the stars. I wondered if the sun would have mercy and make tomorrow (my last possible day) bright and warm.

* * *

  
We were on the flight before the sun was up. How I managed to sleep was beyond me. Now we were all crammed inside the tiny plane with the same flight attendants from the trip I took with my family from New Zealand to Japan. It was too early to be awake, yet none of us could catch any dreams. Next to me L was licking icing off his fork and his plate held his second piece of cake, this one being chocolate. His appearance and laid back attitude could make someone think he could care less about the impending doom that was growing closer every kilometer the plane was getting to Tokyo. However, from the way he was chewing slowly and taking his time in eating each dessert, I knew his mind was at the battle ahead. He hadn't spoken a single word to me since we boarded. His distant eyes showed me he was calculating his moves, putting together strategies, predicting what was to come; I didn't need my powers to hear the wheels in his head turning.

I tore my eyes from L to Mello in front of us. I could only see the back of his blond head and a little bit of the reflection from the window next to him. He had a bar of chocolate in his hand that was un-open. Since we got on the plane, he had just held it, either forgetting that he had it in hand or deciding to ignore it. Next to him was Matt. He was busy playing with an old version of the GameBoy but his mind was not on the game as his character died for the umpteenth time. I had seen very little of Matt since my stay at the manor, only seeing him at meals and running into each other in the halls. He had stayed in his room most of the time or I had been outside sparring with Mello or L. He had brought a very strange, silver device the size of a basketball onto the plane with a more oval shape. It sat in the seat between him and Mello. I did not quite know what its function was but I presumed it was some device to help him during his match. Whatever it was, it must be quite explosive since the few times I did see the redhead, the tips of his hair was singed and his fingertips had scars and bandages wrapped in them.

"You need to sleep."

I turned my head to look at L, his cake already half-eaten.

"It's a very long flight," he said, "You'll be useless if you're fatigued." I didn't feel like arguing with him about hardly being able to sleep when I was about to face a homicidal megalomaniac. He lifted his fork and pointed it in my direction with a rather large piece of chocolate cake attached to it. "Here. Have a bite."

I didn't really want to eat something so sweet and sugary but I leaned forward and tore it off the fork with my teeth anyway. Like I imagined, it was more chocolate that I would care for and almost made me gag but I swallowed effortlessly. L smiled at me and nodded with approval.

"Good? Now it's time to sleep, Light-kun."

I sighed and rolled over to the window on my left, wishing I had some water to wash down that bite of cake but I refused to drink anything made by the potion-making flight attendants. Perhaps that piece of cake wasn't a good idea, either.

I would discover that it was indeed a bad idea when I jerked awake in my seat which did not feel like my seat on the airplane. Panicked, I looked around and saw that I was indeed not on a plane but strapped inside a vehicle, an SUV by the size. Matt was next to me, using his kit and a small soldering gun to fix his goggles, which had more wires inside it than I thought possible. The smell of smoke and the crackle of the fire must have awoken from my strange and deep sleep. I looked around the car, noticing Mello was driving and L was in the front seat. I must have caused a commotion from waking so they had to know I was awake now.

I glared at the back of L's seat where I knew he must have been sitting. "Will you stop drugging me?" I accused.

I could see his smirk in the rear-view mirror. "I'm surprised that Light-kun's tolerance for such a small dose of anesthetic is so low. He must learn to be very careful. I ate that entire cake and did not feel the least bit groggy."

"Of course not. You never sleep, remember," I mumbled. Looking outside, I noticed the bright quarter moon overhead and the absence of buildings and the presence of a grassy plain that had probably been used as a rice field years ago. I had yet to see a sign indicating so, but I knew almost immediately I was in my home country; something about the air and the way it smelled told me so. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and was somewhat surprised that after being heavily drugged and dragged off a plane in an almost comatose state I did not feel the least bit sleepy anymore. Actually, I suddenly felt fidgety and my limbs were buzzing with excess energy. I felt as if I could run a marathon or ten.

"I can see it from here," Mello announced.

We were on a dirt road and below in a makeshift drop-off was a large concrete building. There were still construction equipment such as bulldozers and steamrollers waiting to be used. The faded letters of the Kawasaki logo were still eligible at the building's entrance. There was a metal fence around it and the parking lot construction with several warning signs and no trespassing zone posts.

Mello pulled the car off the road and it easily drove on the slick grass. He brought it to the side, next to the unfinished parking lot, which was at the moment only massive piles of dirt and a giant hole, and parked. We all climbed out and stared at the fence with barb wire wrapped around the top.

"There are the cameras," he said, pointing at several video surveillance cameras mounted on high poles. "Matt checked earlier and they are working. They want to keep teenagers away from using this place as a party house."

_'Didn't stop Beyond,'_ I think to myself.

Matt was balancing his laptop on one arm and typing madly away at the other. "Except," he said, lips slightly curled in a sly grin, "as of right...now...they are not." We each looked up at the camera closest to us, seeing nothing unchanged. "They are, I'm sure of it."

"Okay, the next security measure they have are flood lights and an alarm that immediately contacts the nearest PD whenever it detects motion," Mello said, eyes facing the building in front of us. "Matt, can you disarm it?"

"Is Link the chosen hero?" He snorted at his joke and covered it in a cough after receiving a heated glare from Mello. "I mean, even though the last supervisor with the code was terminated, the access code has not yet changed from their corporate office. Thus..." He typed madly away at the binomial numbers that stretched across the screen, "Tada! Access granted."

I looked at the fence and the cameras, seeing nothing unchanged. "Are you sure it worked?"

"Of course it worked. What? You want the cameras to suddenly droop or something?" Matt waved a hand in front of me. "I am the best hacker in the world, y'know. I know a thing or two about disarming alarm systems.

"This is no time for recognizing reputations," L stated. We all faced him, slightly guilty for our petulant chat. "I'm not good with pep talk as you all may know."

Mello pressed a hand on L's shoulder. "Then let's forget the talk," he said, "We can only follow his rules so talk is cheap. I'm ready for action."

L tucked is hands in his pockets. "We are at his mercy and our resources are very limited. Don't lose your cool. Don't let down your guard. And more importantly, don't die." Gravely, we all returned his nod. His eyes looked back to Matt. "The fence is unarmed, correct?"

"Affirmative."

"Then let's get over. Mello."

Our blond teammate stood beside L and they grabbed wrists, making a square formation with their arms. Matt took a few steps back, ran towards them, and used their linked arms as a spring board to jump over the fence. Twisting his body, Matt's jacket just barely hovered over the razor-sharp barbs until he landed safely on his feet on the other side. He dusted off his knees and gave us a thumbs-up. Then Mello and L turned to me, letting me know I was next.

I had seen this maneuver done several times in the movies, but I knew better than to trust the cinemas. Jumping on someone's wrists and hurtling yourself eight feet into the air was not a very easy task and very dangerous; I had almost snapped Mello's wrist in half the last time we practiced this. If my landing was an inch off, I could hurt one of my mates or land on my neck.

But I was ready. I took a few steps back, inhaled, exhaled, and ran toward them. Right before I got to them, I jumped. My sneaker landed in the "net" of their wrists and we pushed against each other. I saw the fence's wires slide easily under me, however, there was one problem: I was too low. In order not to fall completely on top of the barbs, I put my foot out and used it again as a push-off point. One of the sharp edges caught the edge of my pants, ripped it, and seared into my skin. Several diseases came to mind such tetanus, bacteria, and staph infection, but I landed well with a small "ouch" escaping in a breath.

"You all right?" Matt asked me.

"Yeah," I replied, "It's just a scratch." But damn it hurt like hell. I could see a small crimson stain on the lower leg of my khakis and knew my sock was matching in color. This was not a good start.

L and Mello were already scaling the fence like spider monkeys and using Mello's leather jacket to cover the barbs. They gently descended, and Mello unhitched his jacket from the wires, showing long scratches into the leather. He pursed his lips as he looked over the damage but put it on anyway.

"That was easier than I thought it was going to be," he said, hands on his hips, "Apparently Beyond doesn't know we have the best hacker in the world to deal with alarms."

"That's not it," L said, "He told us we might have difficulty entering the grounds. Keep your eyes peeled for something out of the ordinary. Matt, Mello you watch the rear."

We began walking in dour silence. I looked around the equipment, hearing some kind of engine humming. I wrinkled my brow and turned to L. "Do you hear that?"

His large, rotund eyes pointed back at me. "Hear what?"

"That sound."

"The humming?" Matt asked, "I thought it was a generator or something."

"This building is under lockdown," Mello said, "There should not even be use of a generator. And if there is a generator, it's inside the basement, not out here."

"Then we shouldn't hear it," I said, my skin prickling with goosebumps.

We all stopped and looked around us, back to back. "I don't see anything," I announced.

"There's nothing here," Mello said.

"Up," we heard L's voice, "Look up."

And we did. Up in the twilight hours of the night a strange cloud form was circling above us, humming. However, upon observation, we noticed that it was not a cloud but a swarm of monstrous bugs. Hell Bugs. Their glittering, nearly transparent skin sparkled and their wings beat so quickly and loudly it sounded like an engine. They were circling us like vultures, but what really dropped our jaws were not just their mass numbers, as there had to be more than a hundred of them, but of their sizes as well. A normal Hell Bug could only grow to about the size of a rat and were invisible to humans; these monsters, however, were as large as dogs. Their jowls clicked and their beady eyes stared at us. The swarm suddenly stopped, suspending themselves in air, slightly bobbing up and down, and they were _watching_ us.

"Run! Now!" Mello shouted. His yell stirred everything. We all turned and ran toward the building but the Bugs dove down on us. The tube-like structure of their mouth appeared as giant hypodermic needles. Though their smaller counterparts' bites were barely noticeable for humans, I felt as though one bite from these monstrosities would be very painful. They attempted to bite us; I could feel their wings flapping all around me and their prickly legs grab onto my jacket, but a quick punch to the face deterred them. We all swung wildly like windmills and ran as fast as we could.

Right when we were twenty meters from the entrance, we heard a scream. We spun around and saw Matt being lifted into the air by five giant Bugs five feet, ten feet, fifteen feet, and hovered at around twenty.

"Shit," I cursed.

"Matt!" Mello yelled.

Then he was falling. He was dropping to the Earth very fast, but we were fast, too. I saw his limbs flail, his eyes widen and his mouth open in a silent scream. Then Mello ripped off his jacket and before I could comprehend, I had one of the sleeves, too. We pulled it and Matt fell into it. It seemed to catch him for one second then there was a ripping sound and all three of us fell to the ground on top of each other.

Having the wind knocked out of us, Mello and I rolled off of Matt who looked more dazed than injured. "You okay?" I asked.

"Been...better..." he wheezed.

The loud motor-like sound of wings caught our attention again. The Bugs were whirling around us in a circle going faster and faster.

"Fuck," Mello cursed.

"Into the warehouse!" L barked, "Get inside!"

Mello and I grabbed Matt's arms and pulled him to his feet and followed behind L who ran ahead of us. He pulled open the heavy metal door and we scattered inside. L pushed the door shut once we came inside. All of us were panting for breath and took this time to look around. The inside of the warehouse seemed to be almost done, only the roof was half-finished. The floor was covered in metal shavings and dust from drywall. We noticed three doors with numbers one through three written on them with spray paint. Our attention was drawn to the white cloth covered table where three white candles were burning and silver dining sets on display. It looked as though someone was preparing for a romantic date.

"Welcome gentlemen!"

We heard Beyond's voice coming from upstairs. The construction elevator lowered and he and his bare feet walked out. He wore a lopsided grin and approached the table. All of us stiffened and watched his every move with predatory eyes. He simply smiled and walked behind the table.

"We're here, Beyond," L stated, "Tell us the rules."

Beyond shook his head and tsked at us. "Always rushing. Don't you want to have dinner first? No? Fine then." He clapped his hands together. "As you can see there are three platters with covers on the table." He waved a hand to show the silver platters like one of the prize-showing women on game shows. "One at a time, each one of you will lift a platter and whichever number is revealed to you is the door you need to choose. And as you can see, there are three plates and four of you."

"Because I am not participating in this selection," L said. His dark eyes narrowed slightly at the man in front of him. "My opponent has been decided long ago."

Beyond's wry grin spread across his face like melting oil. But instead of verifying L's statement, he continued to instruct us. "Once you pass through the doors and follow the directions, you are on your own. However, once an opponent is finished, that person may locate and assist his comrades."

This bit of news was good for us. We could assist anyone in danger. However, the same could be true for his guys.

"So who's first?"

Without even a pause, Mello stepped up to the table. He lifted one of the platter lids and placed it on a table. On the plate was a folded piece of paper, which he unfolded and displayed to us the number two. Beyond swept a hand, showing the room with the painted "2" sprayed on it. Without looking back, Mello walked through the door and it closed behind him with a click a little too loud.

I looked over at Matt who had suddenly become a strange milky color and smiled cautiously at me. "You first?"

I wasn't sure if I replied or not. I was standing between L and Matt and the next I knew I was holding a folded piece of paper in one hand a platter cover in the other. I unfolded the piece and revealed the number one. I looked up to see Beyond's toothy grin staring back at me. However, I refused to look at his eyes, keeping my gaze to his chin and under. Locating my designated door, I pulled hard on the handle and walked through. It was heavy and fell behind me, closing with a loud bang.

* * *

Now only three remained in the room. Matt swallowed and shuffled toward the table with his head bowed and nearly jumped out of his shoes when he heard Beyond speak.

"And then there was but one." Matt didn't look up. He kept his eyes down and lifted the platter. Of course, written on the piece underneath was the letter three.

"Hehe," Matt laughed with no humor, "Who would have guessed?" Squaring his shoulders, he approached the third door. Unlike the other two, this one was not that heavy. It was made of wood and slid easily on its hinges. He turned the knob and walked through.

This was not what he was expecting. He had entered into some kind of lobby area and from here, he could see cubicles lining up and down the room. Some were equipped with old computers from the nineties that were either smashed in by something or looked as though they got trapped in wires. He heard a snap and looked back to discover the door had closed itself. He twisted the knob but it wouldn't budge. He was stuck in this ghost office. He touched the arm of his device which was now strapped to his back like a backpack, took a deep breath, and took on step toward the computer graveyard.

"What is this?" Matt stopped when he heard the voice call out. "Is this really who I'm stuck with?" Row after row, fluorescent lights came on, flickering on and off. Someone stepped out from one of the rows and stood ten feet away from Matt. He wore thin rimmed glasses and a pressed white shirt with khaki pants.

Matt snickered. "Well, I must say I'm relieved. I was afraid I'd have to face whatever hellish thing made those Hell Bugs out there but it's just a nerd."

Simon sneered. "I wouldn't be calling anyone a nerd, goggle-boy."

"Ooh, nice comeback. Like I haven't heard that one before."

Matt's opponent balled his fists. "I was promised a fight, and yet I get stuck with you, a guy with absolutely no powers at all."

"How would you know if I-"

"I know all about you, Wammy child alias Matt," Simon interrupted. "You've taken every test to prove you were special, to prove you were born with an ability other than sight, but you failed every test. You're just human."

Green eyes narrowed. "All of us are human," Matt told him, "Even those of us that have powers."

Simon let out a loud laugh, a shrill laugh but it sounded grainy like an old recording. "That is where you're wrong, my acquaintance. Tell me, I know so much about you, what do you know of me?"

"Simon Gaffinis: age twenty-three, born December 7, 1987. Thirteen years ago, a freak accident at an elementary school caused several students in the computer lab to be rushed to the hospital with severe third degree burns after their computers suddenly combusted," Matt rambled, "The cause was unknown except it was studied by The Company, discovering that you had an ability in which you could actually transfer your human mind into technology that had hard-drives, mainly computers. Because of your behavior and disobeying authority, you were labeled as dangerous and placed under house arrest. But you escaped two years ago and no one's seen you since."

Simon laughed again. "Not surprising. You have great memory; now if only that were your power, not that it would be any help, but at least you wouldn't just be human."

Matt was getting angry. "You're human, too, Simon!" he shouted.

Icy gray eyes stared at him, grinning sadistically. "That's where you're wrong. You see, just like you said, I escaped from the horrible detention hall two years ago and vanished off the face of the planet. An all out man-hunt was after me for a few months but they gave up hope and retreated. But there were a few who found me who were quickly disposed of after seeing my experiment. I had to get rid of them before they alerted The Company, you see, and I had a real hassle on my hands. Honestly, you kill a few nameless guards and you're labeled as inhumane, when it is just that which makes someone human. Only people murder. Not computers. Technology never pulls the trigger itself without some tampering from human hands. Humans are faulty creatures with large minds but can do very little. Humans do not evolve, it is technology. Without technology humans would be dismal creatures."

A cold chill spilled down Matt's spine. "You're talking as if you're not human."

A low laugh rocked Simon's shoulders. "You fool. Do you not realize what I was saying? I have passed the barrier of perfection! I have upgraded myself above disease, illness, and age! I have become better than human!"

"You're insane!"

Simon's eyes had a strange light to them, as if there were a bulb inside his head. But his skin was glowing too, a strange light shining off him. The light was so bright his skin was literally melting off. Strips of flesh fell to the floor, leaving Simon's torso and limbs bald. Matt took a step backwards in horror as Simon's body began to twist and shift, air being released in a hiss as Simon rose to seven feet.

"Oh my god!" Matt gasped.

"No," Simon said, "I'm even better."

Instead of organs and bones underneath melting flesh, a body was made of wires and turning gears. His "bones" were rods of shiny metal like chrome. Simon's glasses fell from his face and were crushed underneath his metal foot. The only thing human on him was his face that was still protruding from the shell of his new cranium of steel.

"You're a cyborg," Matt said, side-stepping around the thin walls around the cubicles, "No one has ever come close to accomplishing this."

"No one is me and more," Simon said, "Only because of my powers was I able to make this suit and combine my mind to it to make it a success. And though I see you in awe, I must destroy you now so you cannot tell anyone else this. Goodbye human."

He raised his hand toward Matt and the plates on his palms divided into an opening.

"Uh oh," the redhead muttered and dove out of the way as a chain with a three-pronged claw shot exactly where he had been standing a second earlier.


	19. Chapter 19

**P.I.S. Chapter Nineteen: Show Down! Pt. 2**

Near had confirmed three things; one: this was all an illusion and everything and everyone around him did not really exist; two: whoever was creating this world must have attended Wammy House in the past, before it became co-ed; and third: this person pulling the strings did not know of his telekinetic powers.

His psychic tracking abilities had suddenly become imperceptible. He could not locate anyone at Wammy's. Whether because his abilities were null and void or because the people here did not actually exist, his powers were nonexistent. Spread out before him was a map of the campus, and next to it was a red and green play top lying on its side. He had spun it several times over the map to locate Mello, Matt, and Roger, but it always spun off and stopped on the hardwood floor.

Blue eyes stared intensely into the object, and in his mind, he could see it spinning. Faster and faster until green and red swirled together into a dizzying Christmas festival. If this wouldn't work, he would not know what else to do. He was not experienced enough in this situation, and it would probably take days before he could come up with another plan.

Then the top moved. First only an inch and still on its side but after just a slight pause, it spun around again and again on the floor. Remaining very still and watching, concentrating on the top, Near maneuvered the top onto its point and it spun perfectly in place, spinning faster and faster. Near blinked and the top dropped and rolled to a stop. He sat up, pulling one leg toward him, and twirled a lock of hair. A long mirror stood against the wall opposite of the door. If he turned his head, he could see his reflection, and it would have shown he was smiling.

He had confirmed his theory. Now, to set it in motion.

* * *

The first door led to the basement. I passed by an elevator as I followed the arrows on the floor made of masking tape. There was caution tape blocking the entrance with its doors stuck open. The elevator cart had gotten stuck between the floors, however, my destination was not the elevator. The arrows on the floor wanted me to keep going, so I followed them to a door covered in graffiti and found myself in the unfinished parking garage. There was nothing but concrete and graffiti all around me, but what I noticed immediately was the smell. It nearly doubled me over even after I covered my nose and mouth with my sleeve. My eyes watered slightly. The only way to describe the smell would be if a dead body was decaying in a sewer. That is what it smelled like, decay and sewage. However, everywhere I looked, I could see nothing that would point to the source of this acrid odor.

There were no arrows pointing me where to go, so I concluded that this was my destination. But there was no one here, and I was not going to call out. Where I was, the fluorescent lights shone brightly but about ten yards in front of me the lights were dim, some flickering and some burnt out or broken.

Watching the shadows around me, I cautiously stepped closer, judging where the smell was strongest (against my stomach's wishes) and came to the the other end of the garage where broken glass littered the floors from busted bulbs. The darkness was making it very difficult to see. I squinted and stepped, glass snapped under my sneakers. Finally, I could go no further. It was too dark to continue without putting myself at risk. My foot bumped into something on my next step, and I bent down to pick it up. It was a long flashlight usually used by security. My instincts told me not to pick it up; if it's too good to be true, it is. It was suspicious but I needed to see. One click and the bulb illuminated, however, what I saw made me almost drop it.

I had found the source of the stench. From the wall I was facing up to the roof, sticky green goo covered it. It looked like mucus and gum. But what made my throat constrict was not the goo itself, but what was inside stuck inside it. There were bodies of women stuck to the wall, all dead. Two hung from the ceiling. Their eyes were missing but there was goo spilling from their sockets and their open mouths. Their faces and bodies were bloated and their abdomens cut open, and they were hollow on the inside except for more clumps of disgusting goo. These women were decaying to the point of nonrecognition but one of them caught my eye and I realized immediately she was the missing woman from the news programs. Months before just outside the Kanto region, several women were reported as missing; most were prostitutes or drug addicts so the police and families did not do more investigation than they thought necessary. Even my father neglected their cases when they came to a dead end, leaving it for the cold case files. The only one that was suspicious was the woman who had apparently been pulled from her car. How sad that this was her fate.

I could no longer look at such a direful sight and turned around, to escape, but as I was turning, in my peripheral, I saw something coming fast at my head and I dropped to the floor, rolling over to avoid whatever it was. The sound of a metal bat cracking into the concrete floor rang in my ears. I pointed my flashlight to its source and saw one of the men I recognized when we first met Beyond. Vanya, L had told me was his name. He was smiling but his teeth were too pointed to be human, his smile stretching a little too far to be skin.

"I vas hoping to get you," he said and swung the bat again.

* * *

L followed Beyond into another adjoining room, but he did not sit down on the broken couch next to the mass murderer, though B did pat the spot next to him, welcoming.

"Fine then," B huffed. The room was small and cramped with the couch and about twenty security television sets. All of them were on, showing empty rooms and construction. L noticed the faulty wiring and how easily a fire could catch. These televisions were not meant for security, so L deduced that the cameras installed inside the warehouse had been placed by Beyond.

"The only cameras that worked were the ones outside," Beyond said confirming L's thoughts. He pulled his knees to his chest and smiled at L who stood behind the couch and far from reach. "I fixed them so we could watch. I thought you would be curious to see how your team was doing. Or at least, I am. I haven't had any contact with mine in eight years and you've trained yours yourself, correct?"

When L still did not say anything, Beyond frowned at him. "What's wrong? You're awfully quiet."

"I don't have anything to say."

Beyond released a loud, high pitched laugh, laughing too hard for something that was not funny. When he stopped, L turned his eyes to the monitor, catching Light's image on the screen. Beyond was staring at him, he knew, so when he made eye contact with those bloody red eyes again, he saw dark amusement.

"He's a cute one."

L remained unperturbed.

* * *

My powers weren't working. I wasn't sure if it was because the adrenaline and blood pumping through my system was blocking my receptors or if Vanya was like L. But something was very off about this man. The way he swung the bat was inhumanely fast. It missed me by mere centimeters, and I was panting hard for breath as he chased me all over the garage. In fact, I think he was not striking me on purpose. I peeked around from my hiding place from behind a wall of cement blocks that had been placed into the dividing walls.

"Run run run," Vanya yelled out, twirling the bat in his hands. His voice sounded different, like a humming motor.

I concentrated, straining, searching but nothing again. His thoughts seemed out of reach. Dammit.

"I know all about you, Light Yagami," he continued, "I know all about your telepathic powers, but that von't vork on me."

From my peripheral, I saw a flash of movement and when I turned, I saw Vanya raising the bat and he swung. I didn't have time to move. The bat connected with my rib cage. Snap. I screamed in agony. My legs froze in pain, and I fell to the floor. My eyes stung with tears but my brain came back into gear when I saw Vanya raise his weapon again into the air. I spun my legs and tripped him. His bat fell next to me as he landed on his shoulder, only a foot away. I grabbed the bat and ran away from him, limping from the pain of my broken rib.

Breathing became even more difficult. His hit probably bruised one of my organs, but hopefully did not rupture any of them. I looked down at the bat and my heart jolted. There was a dent in the metal in the middle tip of the bat, meant to be the strongest point where the ball would hit it. How hard was Vanya swinging? If I had been hit at a speed that could dent a metal bat, I'd be more seriously injured than I really was. Who the hell was this guy?

I heard laughter ringing around the cement and metal walls. It sent chills up my spine.

"You haff nothing on me, Light Yagami!" he yelled, "You can't read my thoughts! You're nothing but a pathetic human compared to me, Light Yagami!" I grit my teeth. If I had to hear one more blasphemous comment..._  
_

_ L's cat-like smile didn't falter. "Some men are very much like beasts, Light-kun." _

Realization washed over me like a cold shower. Why I couldn't read Vanya's thoughts, it was so obvious.

"I am the best Rogue you haff ever seen," Vanya continued to yell, "Your powers mean nothing to me!"

Goddammit. I heard them before I saw them. The area was flickering with dull light, but the hum of giant wings told me I needed to run deeper into the darkness. My legs moved without command. I felt something grab at me and I whacked the bat right into it, crushing it against the Rawlings signature and the concrete wall. I heard the crack of the exoskeleton and greenish blue guts squirt out. I didn't admire my work but took off toward the darkness.

However, I was wrong in thinking this part of the garage was dark because the bulbs weren't working. No, they were motion detected. And once I stepped over the sensor, bright lights flickered on overhead and sleeping Bugs suddenly awakened and angrily swirled around. There were hundreds and all as large as the ones outside. I was stuck in the middle of a giant Hell Bug tornado.

"I need a bigger bat."

* * *

Splinters of wood scraped against Matt's skin as he held his arms up to protect himself from the blast. He was lifted off his feet and thrown backward through the thin, but still hard enough to be painful, walls that separated the cubicles. When he landed, his chest throbbed with pain, but he ignored the metallic taste in his mouth. His shirt had been torn and his pants had burns in them. This was not what Matt signed on to do when he joined the damn Company. His job was simple background checks and working around systems, not fighting monster cyborgs that blasted him with powerfully small explosions.

Matt rolled to avoid the long-shot claw as it split the concrete floor. He was going to die if he wasn't able to fight back, but with Simon on the offensive meant Matt would have to be quick. He touched the sleek white strap of the gizmo still attached to his back. _'Where to hide?'_ he thought? His goggles were equipped with a high-tech situation analyzing program that would make any sci-fi nerd quiver with jealousy. He looked around, studied the code that passed over his eyes, the arrows, the symbols, and...there!

Luckily his hiding spot was close. He grabbed one of the gadgets on his belt, pressed the button, and launched it across the room at Simon. It was a simple flash bomb and the blinding light was good enough.

"Argh!" Simon yelled, covering his eyes. Matt dropped his weapon, the metallic backpack, and ran across the room as quietly and quickly as possible. At least this part of the plan worked. He didn't know how much of Simon's body was human but he would bet his favorite video game that at least his eyes would be normal; how could he rebuild his eyes if he couldn't see? He ran into what might have once been an office. There were boxes stacked high to the ceiling and that was exactly what he needed. Using the boxes like a ladder, he climbed to the ceiling where an air vent was, its open gaping mouth wide and unused for months and the cover was missing. Bingo.

Inside was dusty and dirty from not being used but that didn't bother Matt. He heaved himself into it, remembering to be quiet as possible. He had to crawl carefully so not to give away his position to Simon or to fall right in front of the bastard; these things were not as sturdy as the movies had someone believe. The safest place for him to go would be the bathroom. Bathrooms were one of the sturdiest rooms, which is why it was the best place to go during a tornado. As he traveled, he could hear Simon yelling for him ("Where the hell are you!") but it sounded further away.

His computer was attached to his chest using velcro, and it was probably thanks to it that he wasn't dead already. His virtually invincible laptop was still in testing. _'Crazy cyborg blasting proof,' _he noted with slight hubris. He turned it on and began clicking away at the keys.

Back in the battle area, Simon's blindness subsided and he looked around, eyes watering, and found Matt was missing. He threw his head back and laughed. "Pathetic human," he said, "Just like dogs, running away with their your between your legs."

"I'm not running," came Matt's voice. Simon looked around but did not see him, only his discarded backpack. "You know what they say, fight fire with fire. Or in this case, fight machine..."

The backpack was moving now. Its sleek silver back began opening and one long bulb slowly came up and turned on, a blue light stared at Simon like an unblinking eye. The straps of the backpack stiffened like legs and the thing took a step forward. It looked like a mechanical spider on four legs.

"...against machine," Matt continued, "I'd like to introduce you to my best creation yet. This is Matt's Indestructable Nano-Fighting Andronoid, also known as M.I.N.F.A., but you can call her Minfa."

Simon's eyes narrowed at the thing. "You have to be joking."

"Not at all," said Matt's voice through Minfa.

The cyborg sighed and pointed his hand at the Nano-whatever. His palm split open and shot a bright white light at it, but the andronoid lifted off its feet and jumped to the ceiling. So a jumping spider it was.

"She might not look like much," Matt said, "But don't let her fool you. She is equipped to take out a good portion U.S. Army; not that I would."

Simon grit his teeth and shot the machine again. And again, it dodged, side-stepping out of the way. He shot and shot and shot but still could not hit it. Holes smoldered in the walls.

"Now it's my turn," Matt commanded. The blue bulb light suddenly switched to red, offense mode. Its back separated and lifted like backward wings. Long, thin wires sprang out and grabbed at Simon's armor and skin in all directions.

"Heh," Simon smirked, looking down at his body encased in black wires, "You insult me if you think this can contain me." He pushed his arms against the wires but they did not break. "What the-!"

"And you insult me," Matt interrupted, "if you think I didn't think ahead. These wires do not carry electricity but a strong line of magnetic energy, and you know what happens to computers when a magnet is attached to it."

Simon screamed, his body tensed and jolted, his head rocked back and forth. "No!" His body began trembling, losing its ability to move. Behind the magnetic wires, his chest opened and a blast disintegrated the wires that bound him. Simon fell on his knees, body still trembling. The control to his right arm was completely useless. "Dammit," he cursed.

Then the damn thing began shooting at him with bullets. Simon tried to get out of the way but his body was moving slowly thanks to the magnetic wires doing. His armor was resilient against the bullets but these didn't seem like ordinary bullets. Angry, he pointed his working left arm up at the ceiling and fired. The roof collapsed.

Back in the bathroom's air conditioning vent, the walls trembled from the blast, dropping dirt and dust. Matt coughed into his microphone.

Simon's smile was wicked. So wherever Matt was, he was close. From his metallic cranium, a vizor flipped over, covering his eyes. He searched around the office. The still smoldering holes gave off some low readings of heat. The room itself was in level green. He continued to turn around and around until he found his target. In the next room, hiding in the ceiling, he spotted the distinct human form of orange and red shades of heat.

"Found you," he murmured. He pointed his left arm at the mass of heat, raised the power level, and fired. The bathroom was instantly destroyed, water sprayed from broken toilets and tiles, pieces of wall, and the entire ceiling blew apart. Matt fell and lay helplessly on his stomach beneath falling rubble. One lens of his goggles was cracked and the other had broken out entirely, broken wires dangled from the open eye. His forehead dripped in blood and he was pretty sure his legs were broken. He coughed and heaved, trying to breath but his chest would not expand.

Then he was picked up by his collar by Simon and thrown across the room. He let out at yell of pain as he slammed against the wall and fell on one of broken stall doors. Simon walked over again and slammed him once again against the wall by his throat.

Matt looked into Simon's eyes, how neutral they were but with a smugness. No anger. No hatred. Just a computer with pride.

"Before I kill you," Simon said, voice calm, "Tell me how a B-rank human could make something like that. Unless..."

Matt's chapped and lips spread in a smile. His left eye was swollen shut. "I purposely failed the ability detection exam, if that's what you're wondering."

"Why?"

Matt winced in pain. "Because I hate physical work," he answered, "Ironic, isn't it? I took the exam first and failed, so I didn't have to move to the Academy and I could stay with Mello. And then he and Near were accepted and left me. And now I'm doing this."

Simon narrowed his eyes. "If you failed the exam, how were you able to join L's team?"

"Mello asked him to. No one knows that I actually have an ability, but L...I think L always suspected. That's probably why he let me join."

"So you can make incredible machines beyond human comprehension?"

Matt smiled again. "I can see how something works and functions just be looking at it. That's why I could make Minfa, my perfect invention."

Now it was Simon's turn to smile. "Perfect? Without your control, it's useless. A gun isn't a weapon if it has no trigger."

"Heh." Matt's laugh was a breathy whisper. "But if the gun could fire itself, it would be a weapon without someone's input. And if the gun could actually choose its victims..."

"That's impossible," Simon barked out.

"Is it?"

Annoyed, Simon dropped Matt back on the floor and lifted his heavy foot, hovering above Matt's head. Matt squeezed his eyes tight.

Except something large and metallic slammed against Simon's head. The M.I.N.F.A. robot clamped its claws into his back and injected a long tube into the open area of his neck. "How!" Simon yelled, trying desperately to remove the robot, but his shoulders were too broad and could not reach it.

Matt pulled himself up into an odd sitting position with his legs twisted in angles. "The perfect invention. I created the very first machine that can think, judge, and decide."

Simon's eyes widened, his pupils very large. Matt continued.

"Minfa injected you with over five thousand nanobots that are now swimming through your hardware. Little by little your limbs and body parts are shutting down." Simon's legs twitched and hisses were heard inside his torso. "Your memory will fade, and because you fused so much of yourself with your 'ultimate armor', your brain will eventually die." Simon lay perfectly still but his eyes still watched Matt. A string of drool dripped from his lips to the floor.

"But before you die, I'll tell you this." Matt shifted and winced, "If it had been I who had you pinned against the wall, I would have been attacked by my own creation. Matt's Indestructable Nano-Fighting Andronoid would think by analyzing our fight and look for mistakes and openings. She would have judged that I was the item that needed deletion, and she would have decided to kill me. So you see, even my machine cannot beat a human's judgment. It is the flaws of humans that make us perfect. And I mean us."

Simon's eyes glazed over.

Matt shook his head. "Look at me being all philosophical." He looked at his andronoid that had crawled over to him, inspecting him with her blue bulb eye. "Minfa, reset."

The legs and eye sucked back into its shell, and it became the metal backpack once again.

* * *

Near sat in the pew and stared at the cross which Jesus Christ was nailed to. The windows were painted colorfully, depicting people from the bible: Noah, Moses, Mary. The church was a high arch style with a long aisle and walls painted to look like wood. A very ugly style, but of course it was. This church was not the brand new church that was built in Near's second year at Wammy's. Another reason to believe this was created by someone who lived here before.

He heard soft footsteps on the carpet and did not look back to see who it was. He already knew.

"What are you doing here?" asked Mello.

Near answered, "Thinking. Why is Mello here?"

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"You're right. You don't have to."

Near kept his gaze on the altar, and Mello's sullen silence stretched thin. He twirled a lock of hair between his fingers.

"How long are you going to be in here?" the blond boy finally asked.

Blue eyes stared ahead. "Is there something you need to do?"

"Tch." Mello crossed his arms. Near knew he was grinding his teeth. "Are you just going to ignore me like I'm not here?"

"I'm not ignoring Mello. I'm concentrating."

"On what?"

"See for yourself."

Near felt Mello's eyes leave him and travel to the front of the church where the altar and the statue of Christ looked down at them with sad eyes. Candles were unlit and the large leather Holy Bible that was read by the priest every Sunday morning was locked away in his study.

"I don't see anything," Mello said after awhile.

"Look again, Mello."

The blond made another irritated sound. When Near was sure Mello's attention was in front of him, he forced the podium to jump.

Telekinesis could be explained by science. The exact reason why it is only born in certain people is unknown, but true telekinesis, not the fake movie magic, was the push or pull of force from one object through another by tipping the balances between them. Moving an object around was like being a puppeteer pulling the strings. Controlling the force between the person and the object required little energy; however, moving multiple objects or heavy objects required more strings of force, thicker strings, and caused more physical strain on the person in control.

When the podium jumped, Mello started, jumping back and staring at the wood as if it had jumped at _him_.

"What the hell was that?" he cursed, "Is there a cat or something up there?"

"No cat," Near answered. He never broke his eye-contact. The altar table was jumping on the spot and now the long vigil candles were also moving side to side, swaying on their circular bottoms until they finally fell over.

Mello looked from the frightening scene to Near, to the altar again, and back to Near. "What are you doing? How are you doing that?"

"Isn't it cool?" Near said, smiling, his finger still twirling his hair.

The statue of Christ shook violently.

"Stop it!" Mello yelled.

However, should the telekinetic person try to manipulate too many objects that he or she cannot handle can have dire consequences. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, so if that person could not bring the forces back into balance, it sucked the energy out of the person who upset the balance in the first place to try to compensate.

The walls began quacking, raining dust on the two inhabitants of the church. Mello whirled about when he heard glass shatter. One by one, the beautiful painted glass windows shattered into a rainbow of shards and sprayed down over them. Vocal cords paralyzed by stupefaction and unable to yell, he covered his head with his arms to protect himself.

Near could not desist. His body was rigid and stiff and his pale blue eyes were glowing with power. He could not even feel Mello shaking him, yelling at him, demanding he stop. Objects flew by and pierced the walls. Entire pews picked and threw themselves across the room.

If the person did not possess enough physical energy, then the balance could not be undone. It would spread like a tornado, round and round, until balance would finally be restored.

Behind his burning eyes, Near saw the church become distorted, like when a roll of film becomes too hot and burns a hole right through the picture. He saw Wammy House, boys playing soccer, snow, a boy with messy black hair, a boy with dark brown hair and a kind smile, a man with gray hair, they were yelling at each other, screams, cries, police, a body bag, black eyes, red eyes, blood, distorted shadows, and...

White.

* * *

I had heard of joggers who suddenly collapsed and died of heart attacks. I was sure that was going to be my fate as well. My arms were stinging from the scratches the claws of the Hell Bugs had caused grabbing onto me. I was grateful that I wore long sleeves even though they had been reduced to shreds by now. I couldn't hear anything except for the loud humming of beating wings. It sounded like the Bugs were all around me; even worse, I knew they were. One swooped down at me and I swung the bat to strike it, but it attached to my arm and lifted me off my feet. I swung my other arm up and jabbed my fingers into one of its beady eyes. It screamed, a high pitch wailing noise like nails on a chalkboard, and dropped me.

This wasn't planned. My thighs and calves were burning, and my chest had grown numb. My underarms, back, and forehead were dripping with sweat in the stifling heat but I kept my sleeves down so my arms wouldn't be cut by the Hell Bugs sharp arms and legs.

I jumped over a highway separator that had somehow made it into the garage and saw attached to the wall next to a stairwell a glass container with a long gray firehouse. The Bugs were swarming around, above my head, dropping occasionally to snag me. I took the bat and swung with all my might against one of the metal poles jutting out of the ground. "Diiiiiiing!" it sang. The Bugs all screamed, slightly petrified in the air. That would only last a second so I ran quickly to the emergency firehouse.

In case of mutant Hell Bugs, break glass. I used the tip of the bat to break the glass and carefully began unwinding the long, heavy hose from the case. The Hell Bugs broke out of their trance and were flying around in zigzags like angry bees, but they were still coming closer. I pointed the red nozzle at the cloud of wings and beady eyes, prayed that the emergency hose was hooked up to a water reservoir somewhere, and pulled back the rusty red clamp. Nothing happened and my heart dropped to my knees.

But my arms were suddenly jerked back and I had to lean against the wall for stability. The water sprayed out in a harsh, continuous stream, and I soaked the Bugs as much as I could. I waved the hose back and forth and watched the wet Bugs fall to the ground, wings completely drenched. Once I knew I had gotten them all, even the ones hiding in the very back, I pulled the clamp back down and cut it off.

I dropped the hose at my feet and grabbed my knees and heaved in heavy breaths. Without the Hell Bugs ability to fly, they were basically useless. My best bet would be to find Vanya and lead him outside.

The sound of humming made my head snap up.

"Not as planned," I said aloud, "Fuck."

The Hell Bugs were shaking like dogs, spraying the water off, and gently making themselves float in the air. One by one, they all lifted off the ground, hovering in place and just looked at me.

I heard Vanya's laughter before I saw him. He was standing on top of the concrete divider I was at just a moment ago with his arms crossed and his slanted eyes laughing at me. "Haff you not yet figured it out, Light Yagami?" he called out, "My Bugs aren't like the Bugs you've seen. A little bit of water is nothing. Now, before I tell them to rip you limb from limb and I use your body as a nest, is there any last words you'd like to say?"

The Hell Bugs were listening to their master. Their wings beat ferociously but they were all huddled together like a giant cloud of buggy eyes and drooling jowls. They bobbed up and down, several bumping into each other. They wouldn't move until Vanya gave the word.

_"When you're facing an opponent," L had said, "there will come a time where you won't know what to do. The first step is to not panic."_

I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes.

_"Anything can be a weapon. You're never out of options until you give up. Look around. What is around you? What can you use?"_

Concrete. There was lots of concrete around me. That would not help right now. What else? I ruminated. The bat. I still had the bat. It weighed heavily in my hand, but it wouldn't help against ten Hell Bugs, let alone a hundred.

_"Once you locate what can help you, use that to your advantage," he continued, "It's a simple equation. What plus what makes what. What weapon with what plan makes what you want happen?"_

The bat is my weapon. The plan is to get away from the Bugs. How do I make that happen? _"What is around you? What can you use?"_ I opened my eyes and stared back at the Hell Bugs and moved up to the lights.

I had a plan.

I didn't fall for Vanya's antic, and I didn't say anything. I threw the bat as hard as I could, and it flipped through air. It went above the Hell Bugs and smashed into one of the light fixtures. I heard Vanya's high pitch laughter ("You missed! Can't you aim?"). Glass and sparks exploded when the bat smashed into it. The open wires hung down, still sparking, and one of the bundled wires dropped down and touched one of the wet Hell Bugs. It let out a screech and the one next to that began shrieking and smoking and the next and the next. The Bugs were too close together and with the water and electricity, the Hell Bugs began exploding one by one like a large firecrackers. Boom. Boom. Splat.

The Bugs and their gooey guts fell to the floor with wet sound. The hanging wire sparked several times and the bat lay in the middle of the water. The stimuli from a perfectly executed plan exhilarated me. From one hundred Hell Bugs to none. Just as planned.

I looked across the garage and saw Vanya's yellow eyes staring back at me lividly. "That's it!" he yelled back at me, spit flying out of his mouth, "I'm done playing around! I will eat you myself, Light Yagami!"

I heard bones snapping and his arms and legs were stretching out more than humanly possible. His eyes grew larger and larger, his bottom jaw protruded further out, his hair thinned and his clothes began ripping. His neck was two feet long, stretched out like taffy.

I didn't have a plan.

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(A/N): *gets tomatoes thrown at* I know! I should have updated much sooner! It's not my fault it's been so long since I've been on this site...I would like to thank everyone who supported me and this story. :D Thank you all!


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